Fight for another time
by sSappHireSs
Summary: Four years has passed since the Winter War, but only one year since Ichigo's powers were regained. Now the trouble is back. Arrancars threaten Rukia and Ichigo's life, but can the Arrancars be stopped by two strange children from the future? Two strange children that can change the whole Seireitei. REVISED - September 2012
1. Interrogate the Light

_Disclaimer : I don't own Bleach_

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**Chapter 1 : Interrogate the light**

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"Why do hollows always attack at 1 o'clock at night?" Tiredly he kept a close eye on the moon as we were making our way to the hollow's location.

"Why do you always asked that question?" His eyes turned to me realizing I was sarcastic. Yet again.

"Midget" he cursed under his breath, like I wasn't used to it by now. Secretly, I would never admit it, but I liked it when he called me that.

Whenever he called me that I would think back to the time, after the war with Aizen. To a time that my heart wasn't like it should have been.

"You're phasing out again." His smooth voice interrupted my scattered memories. This time our eyes met and I knew that was thinking about that time to.

"Whatever Strawberry… Let's just kill this hollow and get back to bed, I'm wickedly tired… since you started to snore, insomnia keeps knocking on my door."

"Excuse me? Who is the one that wants to sleep in my closet?" Silence crept over us as we continued onwards.

"Alright! I only sleep in your closet because… I… I feel at home there…" My eyes drifted from place to place, but avoided his stare. _Did I really just admit that?_

"Oh is that right?" I heard the sarcasm in his voice, a refuse to look knowing his face would be plastered with a grin.

The calm night's silence was agitated by the bloody screech of a hollow. Both our eyes flew to the hollow's location… we quickly shun-poed there and found an abnormally high leveled hollow attacking a young woman. The hollow's arm reached to grab the woman when his arm detached and blood splurged all over the ground. His scream filled my ears.

Ichigo was attacking the hollow, when my eyes caught a glimpse of something… that should be happing.

The hollow's arm was regenerating.

"ICHIGO!" My voice doubted my actions.

Grabbing Sode no Shirayuki's hilt I started to attack, but found myself flying across the small space where the hollow had appeared in Karakura Town.

"Rukia… you okay?" regaining my sight and saw Ichigo standing in front of me, looking worried, which wasn't that _abnormal_ in these cases.

"Idiot, why are you looking at me like that?" He quickly changed his facial expression.

"What do you mean Midget… come on, let's just kill this thing and get it over with!"

His voice sounded a little bit annoyed but full-on embarrassed. All he needed was a little blush spread across his cheeks.

I took charge and attacked the hollow slicing his mask in halve. "That was easy, way too easy." Ichigo caught on what I said, because his eyes widened and he grabbed me pulling me to him.

My face was buried into his well formed stomach. He quickly jumped back… and then I felt it, a crushing reiatsu press down on me.

I felt Ichigo's grip loosen around my arms… and then he was gone. Turning around I saw him attack what looked like a…like an arrancar.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I presume?" the arrancar's voice gave me goose bumps, but not only was his voice something that should be feared, his body was well built and his broken mask was hanging over his right eye in front of his blood red hair, even worse that Renji's. He grabbed his Zanpaktou's hanging from his hip, and started to attack Ichigo furiously.

"Who… the hell… are you?" Ichigo's voice screamed of anger and his eyes was filled with worry.

The arrancar started to laugh, leaving me and Ichigo speechless.

"I'm the one who is going to kill you!" The hollow's eyes grew small and dark. A tugging feeling in my stomach just told me, screamed at me… something about this arrancar was different. He was strong, way too strong, he could be classified as an espada, but I knew that all the espada was eliminated in the Winter War 4 years ago.

"Just you try" The words out of Ichigo's mouth surprised me; it was like he wanted another challenge. Then I was reminded by my orders from the Gotei 13…

"_Don't let Kurosaki battle, his powers aren't fully recovered, he could kill himself!"_

It echoed in my head. I had to do something… This was Ichigo, my friend, my baka!

So I grabbed my Soul Pager… and dialed the first number programmed into the device.

The screen blinked …

_Calling… Urahara Kisuke_

"Urahara! Come quick! Here is an Arrancar…and Ichigo is fighting him!" I heard the worry in my own voice; of course I shouldn't have been surprised.

"_Don't worry Rukia I'm on my way!"_

The line went dead… but it was too late. I saw Ichigo fall to the ground, blood running down his face. I resisted the urge to run to him immediately, but my duties came first!

"Dance Sode no Shirayuki!"

Her power filled my veins, but before I could attack, even before I could think to attack, the arrancar was standing in front of me… looking smug.

"The Ice Princess! _Ha…_You're the ice princess… oh ple~ase! You can't even move in my presence!" And he was right! My muscles couldn't move at all. He kept coming closer to me, when he finally stopped, he placed his hand on my cheek and lowered his head next to mine and whispered with laughter: "A bitch like you… shouldn't even breathe! That's why I will kill you now…"

Pain spiked in my stomach as his hand dug into me. He was still laughing, when a blue light came from behind him…

"Getsuga Tenso!"

From what I could see Ichigo was standing, more like stumbling forward using the motion to keep him upright.

"Stop Ichigo…" I recognized the voice… Urahara!

I gave into the darkness that surrounded me for awhile… faint whispers breached the darkness's barriers… "Ichigo stop… you're not ready!"

"Ban-kai! Tensa …"

It started to fade

"Zangetsu…"

Would you believe me if I told you, that was the moment I had to pass out?

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"Rukia… how are you feeling?" The voice was from an Angel…an Angel I knew well… _Yuroichi!_ I wanted to answer her, to tell her everything was fine, but the darkness held me in place, my voice was hidden in the blackness…

* * *

When I finally found myself, I was lying in my bed in the Kuchiki Manor… I jolted upward… in front of me stood… _Me?_

"Rukia Kuchiki! You idiot… you promised to protect him! And now, _he_ protected _you_… _again!_" 'Me' was shouting at me…?

I was speechless… how could this be… how?

"Relax, you're not going crazy… this is a dream. Well sort of…"

"Who are you?" finally my voice broke the barriers.

She started to laugh… "I'm you… well I'm your conscious … really?"

My eyes bore into her… "Me?"

"Yes… you. You want me to draw you a picture."

"Uhm no…" then I remembered the battle "What happen to Ichigo, where is he?"

"Well no thanks to you… he is fine…for now."

"What do you mean?" She had me… I needed to know what would happen to _my_ Strawberry.

"You need to protect him; his powers aren't what they used to be. You know that. He can't even use Getsuga Tenso even once and he's out of breath. And now he went Bankai! For us… well you!"

"I'm sorry, but… but" I couldn't stop and started to doubt my own emotions "-why won't he let me protect him?"

"You just need to try harder!"

Our eyes met… and I felt ashamed… ashamed that I didn't try harder.

"Rukia… you need to promise me, yourself, that you would protect him…"

"I… I promise"

"It's the only way we can protect our heart…" she looked almost sad.

_Heart?_ She was confusing me…

"Our heart?"

"Fine! Yours!" her sadness was replaced by annoyance.

"What do you mean?"

"Hello! You should know that…don't you?"

I shook my head. Her violet eyes grew… my eyes grew.

"Rukia, for once, figure it yourself…" with that and a small grin. She, I, disappeared.

* * *

"Rukia?" a worried voice asked beside me…

I sat up and immediately pain shot across my torso. "Ichigo?" my voice begged.

"Don't! Lay back… he… he's fine" Urahara's voice worried me.

"Urahara? What happen?" his face turned away from me, as if to hide from me.

"Don't worry Rukia, he is fine… but he is in the Soul Society…"

"What!?" I didn't know how to react.

"I couldn't heal him…_ completely_ and Orihime wasn't here, so Yuroichi took him to Unohana." Relieve filled me, but I still felt worried… I knew he was fine… but… what was happening with him now?

"Rukia?" An emotionless voice filled my ears and I turned my head to the door.

"Byakuya?"

My brother stood in the door frame looking at me…and deep inside his eyes, if you knew where to look, you could se he was worried.

"Urahara… is she strong enough to go to the Soul Society?"

"Yes, but she shouldn't walk right now" Urahara's voice felt stern, like he was giving my brother an order. An hour later… I was in Byakuya's arms running through the Senkaimon into the Dangai Precipice World. We didn't exchange words until we reached the gates. "Don't ever scare me like that again…" Then nothing. Byakuya was definitely a man of little words. I didn't know how to responded, but I didn't have to, because a Pineapple head interrupted us.

"Rukia! Rukia, are you okay? Captain is she okay?"

"Calm down Renji!"I screamed and my brother only looked, more like sternly glared, at him and he went quiet.

"Rukia…we are going to a meeting with Head captain Yamamoto, can you hold up for another hour or so… then we can go to the 4 Division's barracks?" Byakuya's eyes were harder than when I saw him at Urahara's, but I could still see that he was worried.

"Yeah, I can… but why do I have to be present at the meeting?"

He didn't say a word. Only shun-poed to the meeting hall with Renji at his heels.

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The doors swung open and inside I could see all the Captains and their Lieutenants standing in a row. Byakuya gentle put me down; awkwardly I was standing in the middle of the two rows. Byakuya went to stand at his spot with Renji right behind him.

"Rukia Kuchiki" the head captain's voice boomed thought the room. I felt scared at his presence.

"Yes Head captain."

"Maybe you can shed some light on the current situation?"

"Is this about the new arrancar, sir?"

"Yes and Ichigo Kurosaki." His eyes bore into me and it felt like I was on trail.

"Sir, we were fighting a high leveled hollow with regenerating powers… when we finally destroyed it, Ichi… The substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki pulled me away when a crushing reiatsu came from nowhere. The arrancar was strong, probably an Espada, but something was different, and he knew who Ichigo and I were. He called Ichigo by the name…and me by" I doubted if I should say anything, but "the name, the Ice Princess"

I fell silent for a moment and the continued "He was really strong, Head captain. I couldn't move in his presence…"

"Thank you Kuchiki…" his eyes wondered around the room and the back at me… he opened his mouth to say something, but just then all the captains turned to the South wall and drew their Zanpaktou's. I reached for Sode no Shirayuki, but I remembered I didn't have her with me, no room for a Zanpaktou in a recovery uniform.

The wall burst open and a light filled the room. It then crashed into the floor in front of the Head Captain.

Once the dust settled down, we saw two figures crouched in the rumble. A boy and a girl, both young, maybe a bit older looking than Captain Hitsugaya. If they were human, I'd probably say they were 17 or 18.

"You idiot, couldn't you do that _softer_" The sound escaped the girl's mouth. She had dark brown hair, which on her looked fake, and violet eyes. She was looking at the boy whose hair was blacker than hers, but his eyes were Amber brown, both of them wearing Shinigami robes. (Hers was just customized with lime green strips of cloth around her waist and stomach and his with no sleeves and a logo on his back that I have never seen before.)

"You try to open a portal to the _past_! It isn't that easy!" He snapped back.

"Well maybe if you listen to… to…" she became quiet when she realized all the Shinigami in the room staring at them, Zanpaktou's drawn.

"Oh shit…" they said in chores.

"Who are you?" The head captain demanded.

"Uhm… Captain Yamamoto! Sir… Uhm… well… Uhm… you see… Uhm" the girl stuttered trying to explain

"Speak child!"

"I'm Yu… Yumida and this is my bother Tamaki… and we are, well we are…"

"… from the future Sir" Tamaki finished her sentence.


	2. Trust in Future Friends

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

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**Chapter 2: Trust in future friends.**

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WARNING: Change in Point-of-View (XXX)

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"Future?" The word accidently escaped my mouth.

"Yes… we came back, because our enemy found a way to travel back in time and we were sent here to come kill him." Tamaki spoke again; he looked like the, more, relaxed one between the two.

"Who sent you?" Captain Ukitake asked thrilled, if you could call it that, by the new development.

"Well, _our, _meaning future, Head Captain Yamamoto sent us." Yumida spoke this time, her voice held a certain emotion… it felt like rage or disgust.

"Why you?" Captain Soifon asked looking angrier as ever.

"Well, we know how to fight this enemy and we already killed a few of its, followers if you could call it that." Tamaki's voice held a secret, like there were more reasons for them to be here, than just this one arrancar.

"Captain please we need to go… now" Yumida's voice was somewhat stronger now, almost demanding.

"No…" Yamamoto's eyes bore into Yumida and a saw her eyes flash anger.

"Sir, I beg you. Please we need to destroy them _before_ they reach Ichigo Kurosaki."

My head snapped up when I heard is name fly out of her mouth as if it was nothing.

"They did already" Byakuya spoke this time. _This was the Arrancar from the future. He came all this way to get to Ichigo._

"What!?" They both cried out loud. Their reactions said more than their words ever could, they were probably close to him, because they both were very deeply worried.

"He is resting in the 4th Division's barracks" Unohana's voice was gentle; putting them both an ease. For a moment they looked at each other and the Yumida's eyes found mine. Worry filled her eyes again, but looked away before I could study them more in detail.

"Captain, this enemy is not just an arrancar… it's something more powerful then you can ever imagine ruling over them, yes, there is more than just this one arrancar. It is something that even _killed_ Aizen." The whole room jumped at Yumida's words.

"How do we know you can be trusted?" Toshiro spoke looking Yumida straight in the eyes.

"Because Tos… Captain Hitsugaya-" It looked like she knew him personally in her time "-our future is doomed if we don't stop this enemy and also because we brought this…"

In her hand was a small box, it was silver but on the lid a small crest was engraved.

Yamamoto stood up from his chair and took a look at the box from her; from his eyes I saw he knew the crest.

"Very well, we shall support you-"

"No! You can't, if history is changed- ugly things can happen… we don't need any help. Please captain?"

He looked at her then turned to the Captains and said in a stern voice "We can trust them. But don't interfere." He didn't say it was an order. Maybe he knew they would need our help?

They turned to the door and started to walk, but Yumida stopped. "Unohana, with your permission can we please heal Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki?" I was surprise at my name that was mentioned. These teenagers, they knew both Ichigo, as well as me.

A few minute later we were in the 4th Division's Barracks. I was standing next to an unconscious Ichigo. His breathing shallow and his wounds bandaged.

His facial expression showed pain; even as he slept he looked exhausted. "Ichigo…" broke my lips' barriers. Both Yumida and Tamaki were staring at me as I looked worriedly at Ichigo, but who wouldn't. Ichigo saved my life, countless times and- he meant a lot to me.

"Let's start."Tamaki's voice broke the silence.

He stood between me and Ichigo, lifted his hands to Ichigo's face and my stomach. Pure white light flowed from his hands. It felt warm and comforting. In a matter of seconds I felt, no less than, great. Ichigo's expression softened and soon his eyes flew open.

"What the… Rukia?"

"Ichigo… you are okay!" My voice surprised me. I never knew I could sound so relieved and bossy at the same time.

"Rukia! What happened… you were… my Bankai and then… Uhm" he looked confused "What happened to the arrancar?"

"Urahara took care of him, don't worry… just rest." I wanted to know he was safe, I wanted him to stay put and out of danger.

"Who are you?" Finally Ichigo saw Yumida and Tamaki standing in the corner; trying to hide from his sight.

"I'm Yumida and this is my brother Tamaki, we are from the future." Ichigo didn't look phased by the word 'future' as I was "Ichigo, you must please not leave the Soul Society. You are in danger. Please!" Yumida's eyes weren't looking at Ichigo, but at her brother.

In this light I could see they were family, their faces both had similarities, but they did differ in many ways. Yumida was more petite than Tamaki, but both of them were well built; they must have been trained for a while. They both were taller than me, but Yumida was shorter than Tamaki. Both their eyes reminded me of someone… _someone?_ _But who?_ Then I noticed that Yumida didn't have any Zanpaktou. Tamaki's Zanpaktou dangled from his hip, with a blue hilt. But I had a gut feeling that he didn't use it very much.

I heard Tamaki whisper to Yumida, soft and barely audible, "I shouldn't have healed him, he would probably want to join in the fight now. You know how he is; if she is in trouble- he would do anything to keep her out of harm's way."

Ichigo didn't seem to hear him for he started to get out of bed, but I stopped him. "No!" He looked into my eyes, even more confused than before.

"Why? If I'm in danger- all of _you_ are" His eyes begged me to let him go, but now I knew I needed to protect him.

"D… Ichigo don't be rash. This enemy is too strong for you- in your current state you wouldn't make a dent. Please?" I flinched when Yumida's actions reminded me of my own when Byakuya took me away from the World of the Living and almost killed Ichigo in the process.

"Why does it matter to you?" Ichigo's question startled them both.

"Because… because of the future. If you die, our future is doomed. This isn't your present or future. It isn't even _our_ past. Just us being here, is screwing with the future." Yumida was becoming angry. I saw her fists tighten. Ichigo, of course, didn't listen to her words. Grabbing Zangetsu and walking toward the door, he was stopped by Tamaki.

"Please… if you die…"

"Who said I'm gonna die?"

Tamaki only looked straight at him, not taking any crap. Almost like me. He raised his hand to Ichigo's face and light poured from his hand yet again. When the light faded Ichigo fell to the floor. My body jerked as his crumbled to the floor.

"He will be fine" Tamaki quickly said, "He's just sleeping. He'll be out for 2…3 days or so. Maybe less." And with that both of them disappeared.

It only took a second that my body reacted. I ran to Ichigo. His face was flat against the floor. His nose getting the most attention from the icy tiles. _Yeah he'll be pissed!_

After I got him into the bed, with a lot of struggling (he was after all almost twice my size), I listened to his heart calmly beating, like no threat was looming over us.

_Ba-thump… ba-thump…_

Like this, he was peaceful… almost as peaceful as a child in his mother's arms. It made him look even more attractive. _Woh!_ _What am I thinking!_

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**XXX**

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The air was gushing past my face, as my brother and I were running through the Soul Society; well the one in the past.

"You think he'll be okay?"

"Yeah… you know how strong he is. He'll be more pissed that anything though." Tamaki answered with a gentle chuckle.

"That's why I am asking." We both were laughing now "Did you see how short Toshiro is? He is so short!"

"Yeah! He wasn't lying when he said he grew in the last few years." We reached the gate of the Senkaimon.

"Let's go, Bro!" We stepped in and dashed to the World of the Living. When we finally arrived, we both got a shock of our lives.

"Wow! It change so much!" I exclaimed!

"I wonder if Grandpa's house is the same as in the future." We looked at each other as if to say _Let's go!_

But we were stopped… "Hisoka!" I cursed under my breath. In front of us stood the Arrancar that attacked Rukia and Ichigo. "Oh dear, did I scare you?" His voice made me gulp down a tremble.

Not a second went by went the whole sky was filled by at least 40 Arrancars. "You brought your whole army!"

"Oh yes! Just to kill you two! Or- kill you before you're even born!"

"You Bastard!" Anger filled me and I wanted to kill him in a very colourful manner, but with all his _friends_ backing him up, that won't be as easy as my emotions were telling me. Tamaki drew his Zanpaktou, ready for action.

"Don't worry; we won't attack you… now. I just wanted to make sure you knew we were here, before you go and do something smart-assed." Hisoka's voice boomed louder and all the Arrancar's started to disappear.

"'Till next time… My sweet Yuki!" He wasn't going to get to me! I needed to stop him before he harmed anyone!

Then he was gone.

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**XXX**

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"Rukia you should go rest. He'll be fine." Unohana touched my shoulder gently. I knew I looked tired, because I was exhausted, but I had a bad feeling and I needed to protect Ichigo… even from himself.

"I will, but I'll wait a little longer, just in case."

"Okay then, but don't push yourself" She walked out of the room meeting Isane outside.

"Ichigo don't worry. I'll protect you, baka."

A few minutes later I welcomed the darkness around me. Sleeping was good.

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**XXX**

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"Where do you think we can set up base?" I asked.

"Urahara's?"

"Let's go. It is our only option; maybe he can help us even. My Yokusei***** is a little under the weather." He nodded and we headed to Urahara's. Although the town was different, we found Urahara's easily, mainly because it was in the same place and looked exactly the same as we know it.

_Knock-knock_

The door opened and Jinta stared at us… "Who the hell are you." Both Tamaki and I looked at him, with a sense of shock and simultaneously started to laugh.

"Jinta?" Urahara said from the back of the shop "Who's there?"

"Just some laughing idiots."

"Sorry, it just that… can we speak with Urahara, please?" I regained control over my voice and actions first, for Tamaki was still laughing.

"Who are you?" Urahara was standing in the doorframe looking at us skeptically.

"My name is Yumida and this is Tamaki, my brother… we are from the future."

Urahara suddenly became extremely happy. "Really so it works…?"

"What works…"

"My time machine…"

"No, sorry we used Kidou to transport ourselves." Urahara's happy mood disappeared.

"Maybe another few tweaks…" he whispered to himself. "Oh! But how can I help you…"

"Our enemy travelled to the past, we are here to destroy them." He kept it to the basic storyline. "Can we maybe use your basement as our Headquarters?" Tamaki spoke in the sweetest voice, no one could resist.

"Yeah sure… but is it just you two?"

"Yeah… we are the only two who had enough reiatsu to use the Kidou spell."

"Oh!" Urahara didn't look that phased at all "Well, follow me. Why don't I know you; it looks like you know me."

"Uhm" I didn't know how to respond, but Tamaki did. "We aren't born yet in your time."

Maybe the truth was the only option. Tamaki looked at me and nodded, he knew what I was thinking. He always did.

"So, I probably know your parents" The man leading us to his basement said with a slight hint of excitement.

"Yeah… well sorta?" He did know our parents, but not who they were, or that they even love each other "They only get married like in a few… hang on, what year is it?" It never dawned to me that we didn't even know the year, we only followed Hisoka's reiatsu when we enter the 'tunnel' to the past.

"It's 4 years after the Winter War… 2010… June 2010… to be exact 20 June 2010"

_2010! _That is way too close for comfort! I looked at Tamaki, I knew he felt the same as me. This is, almost, the most vulnerable time ever.

"Thanks…" I was lost in confusion, I even stopped walking.

"Why? Does the year surprise you? Is this the year you are born?" Urahara was smart, too smart.

"No, but close… if anything happens to our parents. We won't be born and our future will be lost." Tamaki was himself again, but for me… it had me stressed out.

We thanked Urahara as we arrived in the basement. He quickly disappear, I don't even want to know what he is going to do now.

"Sis… Maybe this isn't a good idea. They can probable take care of themselves… the Captain's are strong."

"No! We are the only ones who can stop this." I gulped "Because it is _our _fault they're in the past in the first place".

* * *

_*Yokusei :A necklace both Tamaki and Yumida wear. Both look different and unique, both containing a bright orange stone engraved in the silver metal. (You know about it more in later chapters.)_


	3. Dying is part of Protecting

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

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**Chapter 3: Dying is part of protecting**

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"Ichigo, how are you fee…"

"That bastard! Who does he think he is?" Ichigo wasn't in a good mood when he woke up and to make matters worse; I wasn't either.

"Baka, just stop, would you?. They told us to stay here! Why are you being such an idiot?" We were outside the 4th Divisions Barracks and Ichigo was making his way to the Senkaimon.

"I'm not gonna stay put, because two _children_ from the future told me to. If there is a fight coming, I'm going to join in." Once again anger filled me to the core; this guy really is a baka.

"No, you are not!" He turned to me, fake gasping.

"Midget! Why?"

"You aren't strong enough! You get tired after one… ONE Getsuga Tenso! One! Your body isn't ready for this. Just let me protect you! I can lose you too!" My hands flew to my mouth the second I ended my sentence… _Why did I say that!?_

"Ru-kia." Ichigo was standing right in front of me, less than an arms width away. "_You_ protect _me_?" Of course that was the only part he heard and to make everything just a bit more jumpy; he sounded serious, until he started laughing.

"Ichi-go?" He was laughing so hard, that he was lying on the floor, holding his stomach.

"Do you really have _no_ faith in me at all?" Disappointment set in, when I realized he didn't believe or trust me to protect him, like I didn't have the power to.

His laughter died down. "I _believe _you can protect me alright, but you know I won't ever leave you alone." He was even closer now and his hand was on my shoulder. "Those two years without you; it was so boring, I had no one to call Midget!" For once his voice didn't want to make me hit him. I was looking down when his other hand tilted my chin up. "I don't want you to protect me. I need to protect you!" His eyes looked stern and strong like always.

"Well, you can protect me, by staying here." This was the only way I could keep him here. I only hoped he would fall for it. He turned from me and looked at the light evening sky… then turned back.

"Okay… but… let's call Urahara and make sure the World of the Living is okay… okay?"

We headed to the Kuchiki Manor, where I left my Soul Pager, when we entered I heard Byakuya in the next room asking the maid if I was in.

"Nii-sama?" I popped outside to find him walking away.

"Rukia? Your home?" his voice sounded the same; emotionless. Sometimes I wish I could make him happy, even if it was only once. Yet, Byakuya was different "-and so are you, boy." The boy referring to Ichigo… why he couldn't call him Ichigo went beyond my logic.

"Byakuya… nice to see you again." Ichigo stood beside me looking my brother in the eyes.

And why he couldn't show Nii-sama more respect; baffled me even more.

"Are you staying?" Byakuya looked, dare I say it, scared.

"No, I'm staying in the 11th Division's Barracks." _God have mercy on his pour soul._

"Good. Byakuya turned from us and walked away.

"That wasn't weird at all." Ichigo joked as we searched for my phone.

"Found it"

_Calling…Urahara Kisuke_

"_Hello?"_

"Mr. Hat-n-Clogs… is me, Ichigo…and Rukia"  
_"Ichigo! Rukia!"_

"Yeah yeah, we are not died and everything is a-okay, there?"

"_Everything is fine; apart from the teenagers from the future."_

"What? What are those brats doing?" Knowing Ichigo, he did like them, deep down, but I could tell this was some sort of territorial war going on between him and the teenagers. Only, he was the only one fighting.

"_Nothing, they only destroyed like 26 Arrancars."_

"26!" Both Ichigo and I said together.

"_Well, maybe not _destroy_, I think they sent them back to the future, because they're using an unknown Kidou"_

"How many were there?"

"_I think there were 43 in the beginning… but after the last two days their numbers decrease rapidly."_

"Is everyone okay, at least?"

"_Yeah of course. These two are strong." _There was a pregnant pause. _"They kind of reminded me of you Ichigo. Apart from the fact the boy uses Kido and the girl doesn't have a Zanpaktou."_

Ichigo went silent; they were like him, he probably didn't like idea all that much.

"Well thanks for that, we have to go" I quickly said before my orange haired moron climbed through it and slapped Kisuke. The call was ended right before Ichigo yelped out in idiocy.

"Like me?" Ichigo was stuck on that "Hell no!"

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

My whole body ached; never in my life have I felt this tired before.

"I'm going to rest, you going to join me?" Tamaki's voice surprised me as we stopped walking.

"I'm tired, but I'll stay awake and keep watch. I'll wake you if something happens." He nodded and turned to our swiftly made beds "Go dream about Akiza!"

He turned back glaring at me. "How many times, do I need to tell you, I don't like her like that!"

"Yeah-yeah… you just keep telling me that, while you are trying to convince yourself in the process" I made my way to the roof before he could throw me with a rock of whatever was near. Once there I found a little sense of peace. _So this is how Karakura Town looks like way back when?_

"Aren't you tired" a gentle voice came from behind. Ururu was standing outside sweeping the floor, as always.

"No…"

"Yes, you are…" another voice came from deeper into the shop.

"No, Urahara. My muscles are just sore" I lied.

"Ri~ight?" In his eyes, I knew he was over analyzing me and doubting me. "Your just like your father in that way." _Father! How the hell, did he know who my father was!_

"Oh I know, just like I know your hair is dyed that colour." He was truly a genius, a mad genius, but a genius non the less.

"But, how?"

"Oh I have my ways, when you asked me to repair you necklace or Yokusei, as you call it… I knew."

"What?"

"When Ichigo lost his powers, the Soul Society asked me to make a device that can track humans' reiatsu. Like Ichigo's before he first became a shinigami, so that we don't have the to go through all that crap again, but I accidently made a device to hide these special _humans'_ reiatsu. I knew those children would one day be born, who would want to hide their reiatsu… like you."

"Well, I don't hide mine." He looked at me totally confused. "I _need_ to wear it… to _suppress_ my reiatsy. I can only suppress it on my own for a day or so, then I can't anymore, because of exhaustion."

He suddenly looked me in the eyes and sighed. "So you're not Orihime's daughter?"

That took me by surprise.

"… Uhm… no."

"Damn. Then I don't know." He turned away from me and walked away.

"Orihime's daughter?" I repeated it again… _No way in hell! _The night wasn't cold or warm… it was just perfect. The stars were peppered in the sky. _They look exactly the same as in the future._

"Your Yumida, I presume?" a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yuroichi?" The catlike woman stood behind me, looking at me in amazement. "Yes… I am Yumida."

"Well well… you do look at lot like him."

"Him?" _Oh please don't let her guess who my dad is… please._

"No one." She smirked at me and turned around "You can go get some sleep, I'll look out for the Arrancars and call you if anything happens."

"Thanks." I looked back at her as I walked into the shop, she was looking at the sky, just like I did. My bed was warm and comfy, but not as comfortable like the one I had at home. The one I never enjoyed, because my little brother-or sister-would always want to sleep with me!

Waking up, I noticed my brother's absents. He was, however, replaced with a note.

_Sis went to get some Arrancars… you were tired! BAKA!_

_Don't worry! I'll be back for lunch._

_T._

_P.S. I think Urahara knows who we are!_

_P.P.S. Urahara is weirder in the past then in the future! Wonder why?_

_P.P.P.S. I like making P.S's!_

He was right about Kisuke. I wonder what happened between now and the future that made him grow up. I knew Tamaki can look after himself, but I worried about him, he wasn't a fighter. He knew _how_, but he chose Kido over physical fighting like what I'd rather do. I was _always_ the one to attack. So, I left the warmth of our make shift bed to go and help him, my legs were stiff, but it wasn't_ that_ bad. Outside the sun was in the middle of the sky… _How long did I sleep?_ I saw Tamaki returning home, when suddenly I felt a familiar reiatsu close to me.

"Tamaki!" I screamed

"Hisoka?" the last words that escaped my brother's mouth.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The last couple of days Ichigo and I were training nonstop, which had me worried. Ichigo could now do 3 Getsuga Tenso's before almost fainting. I wanted him to stop, but I quote his new stubborn slogan : _'I can feel a fight coming… I need to do this'._ Each time he pushed himself further and further… until…

"That's enough Ichigo! You're going to kill yourself"

"Relax… Rukia… I'm… fine" he wasn't, he was out of breath and sweat dripped from his brows.

"No you're not… please… stop. Just for a little while"

He turned to me and finally gave in. "Fine, just for a little while." He sat next to me, relaxing his head on the tree behind him.

"You know, I am only pushing myself so that I can protect you" he didn't look at me, only stared into space.

"Why Ichigo?"

"You gave me the power to protect my family and others. I'll always be grateful for that and because…" he trailed off from his words.

"Because?" I wanted, no, needed to know.

He turned to me, our eyes were locked on to each other. "I need to call someone Midget!" he turned away snickering.

_Is that his reason? That!?_ I quickly punch him, hard, making him aware of how mad I was.

"Ouch! What was that for"

"Calling me a Midget" _Why was I hoping it would be something else?_

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Stupid, Baka!" I was carrying Tamaki after a hand-to-hand fight with Hisoka. He wore me out, but didn't defeat me. Although I didn't kill him either and I couldn't even get a chance to send him to the future like the other, before he ran away, like always.

"I'm sorry Yu… Yumida! I didn't see him coming from behind" Tamaki's arm was bleeding and his hair was dyed in red blood.

"That's what you get if you go without me!" I was angry at him, but more at myself. I should've been faster at his side.

"It isn't your fault, you needed the rest!" Tamaki was trying to blame himself for his idiocy, which would be natural, but he knew that I felt responsible.

"Let's just get you healed, so that I can make you bleed again!"

After I healed him (which is not the best) on the corner of the street, we went straight to Urahara's. There were only 16 Arrancar's left. These were the strongest and we couldn't send them to the future, our power was dried up, so to speak. At this rate we couldn't even sent ourselves to the future, even if we wanted to.

Urahara was waiting on the porch when we arrived. "You two look exhausted, maybe you should take a break?"

"No! We are fine, we need to stay alert. It is our duty-"

"Your duty? What, to die?"

"What?" Both Tamaki and I responded

"If you continue like this, you're going to die of exhaustion!"

"So? We need to stay and fight-"

"I asked the Soul Society to send a few Captains to come help, in the meantime, go rest!"

"What!" How could he do that!

"Your father won't be happy with us if we get you killed." Yuroichi came from inside the shop and looked strict. We wanted to object, but we knew we had to rest, because for the first time I didn't do anything when Yuroichi mentioned my father. We nodded and headed to our _room._ Once my head hit the fluffy pillow, I was in dreamland.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

Ichigo insisted that we go with the Captain's to the World of the Living to help with the fight. So without listening to reason Ichigo was on his way to the Living World, me trailing behind him to make sure he comes back.

He wasn't ready and everyone knew it, but yet here he was returning to his hometown. When we stepped out of the gates, we were greeted by an all too familiar face.

"Ice Princess! You have returned! Oh, also with Mr. Kurosaki!"

Toshiro, Byakuya, Shunsui, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, Shuuhei and Renji all reached for their Zanpaktous when Ichigo startled all of us by saying. "Leave him. His _mine_!"


	4. Another Getsuga Tensho

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Another Getsuga Tenso**

* * *

Ichigo's eyes stayed glued to Hisoka's body, muscles tensed, he was going to attack and I needed to stop him, before he killed himself.

"No! Ichigo…" I was too late. He was charging, on the attack and nothing could stop him now. Except Byakuya. Nii-sama stepped in front of him, whispered something that made Ichigo hesitant. I couldn't hear what he said, but it got to Ichigo. Both of them turned away from the Arrancar and made their way back to the group.

"Aaaw… you're not going to fight me? Coward!" The arrancar's words made me angry, for Ichigo wasn't a coward and all of us knew it. He would fight Captains to save me and he would go to another dimension to save Orihime. He would even give up his power to save his town. He wasn't a coward… and he would never be one.

His eyes tensed and turned back to the Arrancar "A coward, is someone who runs from a fight, I'm only delaying the inevitable" Ichigo's voice was cold, like he dreaded the fact he couldn't fight him.

"No! You're scared! I can see it in your eyes!" All the Shinigami became enraged at his words, because we knew it wasn't so!

"You don't deserve to breathe!" Renji's voice filled my ears from behind; I didn't even notice he stood behind me the whole time.

"Don't Renji." Byakuya spoke this time, filling the air with his emotionless tone. All the Shinigami glared at the Arrancar standing in front of us. Was he suicidal? There were 9 of the strongest Shinigami standing in front of him (and me), but it didn't faze him at all. Just for an instant, he vanished and then reappeared next to me. As I turned my head to him, in the corner of my eye I saw Renji react and as soon as he drew Zabimaru, blood gushed from his chest.

"Maybe I should just kill the Ice Princess now? What do you think, Rukia?" He said my name, and I hated it.

"Stay away from her!" I heard Ichigo's voice behind me, but Hisoka's arm was wrapped around my waist and his hand on my cheek. I felt his power flow around me. It made my muscles ache and stopped my lungs from breathing air in and out.

Ichigo drew his Zangetsu and so did all the other Shinigamis.

"No no no… you don't want her to die, do you?" He turned my face in the other direction, as to say he would break my neck in an instant. Ichigo's grip on Zangetsu tightened and I could see his knuckles whiten. The wind blew softly. If I wasn't held hostage and the future wasn't in danger from enemies stronger than what we have ever seen and Ichigo wasn't wanted dead… it would have been a nice summer's day.

Ichigo's spiritual pressure suddenly began to flare around him, his eyes turned from deep amber to bright blue.

"I said… .GO!" My eyes widened when Ichigo sprang into an attack. Zangetsu slid next to my face to where Hisoka's arm was, but he had already vanished again. He was fast, really fast. Ichigo was looking in all the directions for him when a Zanpaktou materialized in front of him and with unmatchable speed; it hit Ichigo in the stomach. Ichigo fell back, but still going strong. He propelled Zangetsu back and a fight started. The Zanpaktou was attacking Ichigo, but it had _no_ wielder. The other Shinigami was looking for the Arrancar and trying to get in a position to build up our defenses.

Rangiku made her way to Renji's side, but he was looking frail and I wanted to help her, help him, but my body wouldn't move. I was getting dizzy from the need of air and Byakuya saw it. He quickly shun-poed next to me. "Rukia?" His eyes were glued to me. I couldn't talk or react at all. Suddenly the air around me lightened and was breathable for me again. My eyes were engulfed with the glittering pink blades from Byakuya's Senbornzakura.

"How's that?" I knew he was creating a barrier to shield me from the arrancar's reiatsu.

"Thank… you… Nii-sama." Air filled my lungs and it tasted so sweet.

"He is strong… you should return to the Seireitei." Indirectly he was giving me an order, but he knew I wouldn't leave without Ichigo.

"Nii…" a loud crashing sound came from outside and I knew something had happened. Byakuya dropped the barrier that was created out of Senbornzakura and used Kido to form another barrier to protect me from the crushing reiatsu outside my protected cocoon. When everything cleared up, I could see Ichigo trying to breathe, but he was tired and blood dripped off his brow.

"You bastard!" The arrancar was also covered in blood. The situation stood as followed, both Toshiro and Shunsui was helping Ichigo attack the Arrancar, together they managed to injure him, but all 3 of them was hurt, pretty badly.

The arrancar's eyes darkened and I knew he was going to release his Zanpaktou and if that was going to happen we would be doomed.

He attacked Ichigo one last time and then he was engulfed by a blood red light.

"Depower Raifu kuchiku-kan!" Through the barrier I could feel his power increasing, and so did all the Shinigami and they did the same. Some started to use their Bankai, were others just increased their reiatsu in their Shikai state. I knew Ichigo would go Bankai and if that were to happen...

"Getsuga... Tenso!" A bright green energy beam sliced between us and the Arrancar, before any could attack. I knew it wasn't Ichigo's, for his was blue and not green. We all stared at the point it originated. Yumida was standing with two Zanpaktous... one in each hand.

"Fouls! He's_ OUR_ enemy!" her eyes was cold and tired, we were sent her to come help, because Yumida and Tamaki was too tired to continue. It soon dawned on me, that they probably didn't want our help, but needed it.

"Yuki! You came!" The arrancar's voice filled the once calm day.

"I'm your opponent, leave them alone!" her voice was quiet, but strong and hard. He turned to her and went straight for the attack!

The blades crashed in midair. Sparks flew.

One attack after another. They knew each other's moves well, they must have fought before.

"Create a barrier around them." She was ordering Tamaki and he obeyed. All ten of the shinigami that have traveled to the World of the Living to help them, was now being protected by them.

"He's mine" Ichigo's voice was faint. He was tired and his body looked limp.

"Stop, Ichigo..." I ran to him to stop him from falling over.

"Let me go Rukia..." a single line of blood formed from his lip and a droplet of blood dripped to the ground.

"I'm sorry, but you can't leave my barrier." Tamaki stood next to us with his hands behind his back.

"Why did you do this?"

"To protect you, don't worry my sister can take care of herself, she's been trained" He was looking at Yumida. Sweat was dripping from her face and blood was covering her whole arm. They continued to attack each other, slicing and punching.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked him... _again_.

"That is our little secret." A smile grew on Tamaki's face, but it soon vanished when he saw Yumida falling from the sky.

"No... Yuki... You need to release Kaen!" Tamaki was worried for his sister as she was falling to the cold earth beneath us. She seemed to hear him.

"Turn the air to ash... Kaen no Shinzo!" Suddenly we were blinded by the light that came from her swords. When the light finally faded, she wasn't holding her Zanpaktou; they were strapped to her lower arm. The blades were pure black and… huge!

When she moved closer to Yuzima, a stream of flames followed her. What I could gather, her Zanpaktou was a Fire Zanpaktou and each time her blade moved, flames took form on the blade itself. Her power did increase and her speed was now just like the Arrancar's.

"Tamaki, why did you call her _Yuki_?" It had occurred to me earlier that the Arrancar called her that too, but I didn't think anything of it.

"Well…" he sighed "Yuki is her real name. We didn't want you to know our real names… so we chose other names that were almost the same."

"Then what is yours?" Ichigo was following our conversation too.

"…I'm … Tensa" _Tensa… that was a unique name._

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

_Be careful Yuki…_ the last words he said to me before we went through the portal. And now I was fight against one of the strongest Espada from the future.

Kaen no Shinzo's power was helping me, like all the other times. I could see Tensa talking to Rukia and Ichigo. _Keep them safe, Brother._

Hisoka's laugh entered the air. "Oh Yuki, you'll never beat me… look at you!"

He was right, I looked terrible, but I had a little secret, I wasn't down for the count.

"Getsuga Tenso!" I gather all my energy and attacked him-head on-an energy beam fueled by fire hit him in his chest. The flames surrounded him for a second and I released a second Getsuga Tenso.

His eyes grew darker and with a hint of fear. I knew I had him. Just a matter of time, he was going down! When I ended the attack, blood was flowing freely from his chest.

"Fuck you, Yuki!" Hisoka turned and disappeared.

"Coward!"

Tensa dropped his barrier when he saw Hisoka running away. "Sis! Are you okay?"

"No, baka… I'm just bleeding"

"Nah, you fine!" Our little joke lightened the mood.

"… Yuki?" Rukia's voice was behind me sounding sweet and innocent. I turned to her and nodded and then turned back at Tensa, slapped him and turned back to Rukia.

"What was that for?"

"For telling them my name! Baka!"

"Don't worry, Tensa is not to blame. The Arrancar called you it earlier."

"Tensa_? Tensa_!" Our cover was _so_ blow! I wanted to slap him again, but my body gave in. The ground was coming closer, when I suddenly stop falling. But it wasn't Tensa that caught me like I thought, but Ichigo.

"Lay her down, I'll heal her." Tensa moved closer to me and my body suddenly felt warm and comfy. A few seconds later all my wounds were healed and I was just tired.

I turned to all the Shinigami that stood quiet. "Please go back to the Seireitei, you'll be save there."

"No. I'll stay" Toshiro surprised me, he isn't one who liked fighting, but when he had a choice he always picked the choice that would help others the most.

"I'll stay too, you too Yumchika." Ikkaku answered.

"Matsumoto take Renji back to the Soul Society" Byakuya answered "and also Kurosaki."

Ichigo's head snapped up when he heard his name. Mine and Tensa's, well there was a little jolt in our necks… _I hope they didn't see that!_

"No way… Tensa! Heal me… I'm staying." Ichigo was not planning on hiding anymore.

"No… sorry Ichigo. I need you to stay out of the battle." But I was planning on him _hiding_.

One moment we were debating about healing Ichigo, the next… "Yuki!" Tensa interrupted.

"What?" I turned to him, but my mind went blank when I saw a Zanpaktou's blade sticking out of his stomach. "TENSA!"

Behind him stood … "Obito" I cursed!

"Yuki, Yuki, Yuki!" his smile made me throw up in my mouth. "You're actually in the past. I thought Hisoka was kidding. Oh, and I see you found your parents even."

_Shit!_

"Well… maybe I'll see you on the battle field!"

"Why are you here?"

"The war… is just about to start. And your family is first." With that he disappeared.

Silence willed its way in my head… but Tensa's groan interrupted it.

"Tensa!" I quickly made my way over to him "Hang on…M… Rukia! Please heal him!"

She was shocked for a second and then made her way to Tensa. Green light flowed from her hand and a few minutes later Tensa's eyes flew open. He wasn't completely healed, but now he would survive until we got to someone who can heal him, properly. He looked dazed and totally out of it, but he was all right.

"Who are you really?" For the first time Captain Shunsui spoke.

My blood shot eyes turned to him; I knew everyone had their suspicions now which our actions lead them to believe.

"We are…"

"Yuki, don't!"

"We can't hide it any longer Tensa." I turned to the Shinigami who all were questioning us with their eyes. "We are the first born twins… Yuki and Tensa…" I didn't know if I should say it "… Ku… Kurosaki!"


	5. Born before Birth

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Born before Birth**

* * *

"Kurosaki?" Each one looked at us in disbelieve. "As in Kurosaki_… Ichigo_?"

"… Yes. Our father." This wasn't what we planned to do. They mustn't know, but to remain trusted by them, they _needed_ to know. I glanced at Ichigo, his eyes were lock on us, but his mind wasn't with us anymore. Maybe it was too much for the poor guy to handle… no wait, this was our father, he can handle anything, I think. A few moments passed in silence as all the Shinigami tried to absorb the information they just received.

"We need to get back to the Soul Society… Shuuhei, Ikkaku and Yumichika stay here, protect the souls and people from the Arrancars. We'll be back in a day or so. Tensa and Yuki, you're coming with us." Byakuya wasn't as shocked at the others. He was really different in the past, than in the future. My Uncle Bya smiled more?

"Okay…" I started to bow down to pick Tensa up, but was stop when a bloodied and injured Ichigo picked him up first.

"I may not be your father yet… but I will protect you." I was completely shocked. I thought he would deny us, or, _I don't know._ But here he was, picking up his son, that wasn't even born yet. It was deadly silent on the way to the Seireitei… _what could I say?_

At the 4th Division's Barracks, Tensa was laying in a ghostly white bed, in a completely separate room. He had passed out on the way over and scared me half to death. Hopefully he'll be fine. It scared me even more that his skin was colder than usual.

"Please, be okay" I whispered so that no one would hear. But it didn't stop Ichigo-Dad.

"He'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, that… that we didn't tell you." I was looking away, if I looked him in the eye know, I would revert back to a little girl that was being scolded.

The orange haired man breathed in deeply, before he answered, "I understand Yuki. You don't have to feel bad about it. _I_ probably told you, in the future of course, not to tell… myself? Okay that sounds really weird."

"You have no idea, Dad." As soon as the words flew out of my mouth I regretted them and my hands flew to my mouth. I was making a tomato look pale against my blush.

Ichigo started to laugh.

"Weird..." I felt his amber eyes on my back, "You don't have to hide from me. I won't ask you."

"Ask me what?"

"Who your mother is and how many brothers and sisters you have. Something tells me you have a lot."

"Oh." I hadn't even thought about it. It was still so… weird. He didn't even know us and yet he already acts like our father. Apart from the fact that he _is_ our father.

"Yuki?" Tensa's voice filled the room.

"Hey Aniki!" a smile grew on my face, "Finally your awake!" He looked tired, but he willed himself awake.

"They know? It wasn't a dream?" his eyes was puzzled.

"Ichi… Dad knows" It felt so freaky saying that in the past, with him in the same room too. "Mom doesn't… they don't know… about _each other_."

"And it must stay that way. I don't want to change fate." Ichigo's voice said, soft and caring.

"Dad?" Tensa's face was relieved. I don't know how long _he,_ never mind me, would have kept the secret.

"Dad you should get some rest. You still not fully healed." Ichigo was standing against the wall covered in bandages. His injuries was not so bad as it seemed, but he did lose a lot of blood.

"Nah I'm fine. I'll go find out what is happening in the World of the Living, just stay _here_." He looked straight at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he was still looking at me.

"Because if you're like me, you'll go running the moment I turn my back." A smile grew on his face as he walk out the door.

"You sure that is our dad?" Tensa's question made a good point, maybe he was this soft, because he didn't know us well enough… yet.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

I was waiting for Ichigo to come out of the room, but he took his sweet time. 'I'll be just a sec'… more like an hour. So I made up my mind and started to walk to the door. When…

"Rukia! Wait up!" An orange haired Shinigami came running up to me "Sorry that took longer than I expected." He had an abnormal smile on his face. It had something to do with his… _children_. I kept walking in a complete daze. I had to accept them, he had to married and settle down sometime. I was a bit disappointed; I wanted him all for myself… _my Strawberry._

"Rukia! You look very pale? Well, paler than usual." That would've earned him a slap, but right now, I couldn't care less. "Are you okay? Rukia?" _Yes,_ I have finally lost it. How can I feel this way about… Ichigo. Yes, we are close, but not closer than friends, or are we? We have a weird relationship, we would argue and bicker, but we would always want to save each other. And now his children is here from the future, meaning he must love someone in the future.

"Hey! Snap out of it Rukia!" Ichigo's voice just kept coming, pulling me out of my daydream, but I didn't want to look him in the eyes, because if I did, I knew, I just knew, I would break.

"Rukia!" I felt his hand on my shoulder and I shut my eyes. "Look at me, please?"

His voice was so sweet and soft- and it lured me in- when I opened my eyes he was standing in front of me, looking very worried.

"Is this about Yuki and Tensa?" I didn't want to answer, but my mouth disobeyed me once again…

"Yes."

Then out of the blue he started to laugh and it had me confused. "Why are you…" he stopped laugh and had a serious face on. "Oh dear Rukia… my Midget" Did I just hear correctly… MY midget? _No way in hell!_

"Ichi…go" his face moved closer to me and closer and closer. When he spoke again, I could feel his breath on my lips, I could taste him on my tongue.

"Didn't you notice?"

"Notice what Ichigo? That you're abnormally close to me?"

"No Midget… That every time I get close to you… like this" he moved closer "You start to blush" As soon as he said it my hands flew to my cheeks… _have I really been blushing?_

"Ichigo… I Uhm…" and yet again my words failed me.

"Don't…" He placed his finger on my lips and looked me straight in the eyes. Everything was quiet, only the wind blowing passed us made the leaves whisper. "Screw fate." He whispered. "I know already." I had no idea what he was mumbling about. The intensity of his glare kept me from asking. Time stood still for that moment, no words passed our lips, all we could do was stare. Until Ichigo as gentle as he could, pressed his lips to mine, softly, sweetly. I could feel his hands dropping to my back and pulling me closer.

I didn't object.

The kiss continue and the seconds ticked by. My breath was almost up, but I didn't want to break away. Moments passed that felt like an eternity. Suddenly he broke our kiss. Our eyes met again.

"Rukia…" his voice was low "Your blushing." I didn't care… I would walk around like a tomato if Ichigo would kiss me like that again and again. Then I notice the complete silence between us.

"You Idiot! What was that for?" _How else could I respond?_

"For being _my _Midget"

"Midget?!" I wanted to be angry at him, but there was no hope in hell that that is going to happen "I'm not your Mi…"

I was cut off when Ichigo's lips were on mine again, this time with more passion and heat. I felt his tongue trail the outline of my lower lip, moving up. I opened my mouth to taste his tongue and he happily obliged.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Eeew!" I did not just see that, the only time I looked out of the window I had to see… _that_.

"What is wrong Yuki?" Tensa was lying in his bed and acting like the King of the freaking World. Being pampered and cared for was this little boy's weakness.

"I just wanted to look outside, because it is so damn stuffy in here and I saw-" I gulped "-Mom and Dad making out!"

"Really? That is not so weird. They do that ALL-THE-FREAKEN-TIME!" He was busy eating his jello and sounding all royally. "And anyway, I thought Dad didn't know who our Mom was?" It had me puzzled to, why didn't he want to know even if he already knew?

"Maybe he was being an idiot again. Or he just realized he loved her?"

"Maybe… it did look like the first time they kissed. You know, awkward and gangly."

"Oh, really now? You just know?" Tensa was being his smart-ass self again.

"I just do! Should I draw a picture for you?"

"No! Please, spare my eyes!"

Yes, my drawings sucked too, but at least you could see what was going on in them. Not like Mom's that you have to turn 90 degrees to see a picture.

"Well according to the date, Mom and Dad get married in a few months." Tensa was looking at his phone as I walked over to him.

"Yeah, well you have to get better! We need to kill some Arrancars, because I don't remember any hollows in their wedding photos… except Nell."

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The rest of the walk was really awkward. He was looking a lot more at peace than me, whose heart was pounding like a drum. His footsteps felt like they echoed in my mind. I needed to break the silence… _but how?_

"So you're a daddy in the future!" I added a little, fake, giggle just to make it _seem _playful.

"Well, luckily I'm not the only one."

"What do you mean?"

"They do have a mother, you know." _Oh yes_… and there went my mood, I was so happy and then he reminded me of _her_; who ever she might be.

"Are you jealous of her?" His question caught me off guard.

"No… pffft… of course not." I could fool Ichigo's entire family by my act, but not Ichigo. He could see passed my lies. _So why did I even try?_

"You know what, you're only jealous of yourself." I stopped, but he continued walking.

"WHAT!" He turned to me.

"You didn't know, well more like see, that they're _our_ children?"

I was speechless… _How? When? What the hell?_

"But- but- WHAT?" Ichigo was walking back to me, he took my hand and kissed it.

"Rukia, would you believe me if I told you that I loved you since the day I met you?"

"…No" My hand became clammy and I felt my face turning a bright red colour.

"Well I did and still do…and they just confirmed it and also how you feel too."  
"But how did you know? I… saw them… but they are nothing like me?"

"Yuki's eyes are your eyes and… well Tensa acts like you, calm and in control, while Yuki is more like the you that slaps me. I'm not as dumb as I look you know!" I was trying to imagine them in my mind, but a beautiful interruption came… Ichigo's lips. They were still warm and his taste wasn't affected by mine. We broke the kiss and look in each other's eyes, that moment right there; was the happiest moment of my life.

"Let's go get somebody who can tell us what the hell is going on in the Living World… okay?" we walked in silence, but this time not so awkward at all. I was their mother, _how?_ Well I know _how_, but it felt so strange. I have seen and talked to them. Was it weird? I never even thought of having children, yet with Ichigo, my whole being changed. The voice in my head kept telling me, this was a trick, but somehow in my heart I knew it was true_. I love Ichigo_ and if our love led to children, then so be it.

We were walking up to the Head Captain's quarters. When I turned to Ichigo, my eyes took sight the weirdest thing… Ichigo was blushing… pretty badly. Then I notice why, his hand crept closer to mine. Just to make him go totally red, I grabbed his hand first. And just as I predicted, his face turned a brilliant red colour.

Deep down I knew he was afraid too, just like me, but he had guts to pursue how he felt and it gave me courage to do so too.

And still we walked in silence, peace until… "Rukia?" Byakuya was staring at us from the corner.

"Nii…" _Our hands!_ I quickly let Ichigo's hand fall before I needed to explain, but as always it was too late!

Byakuya's face was still emotionless, until he reached us. He opened his mouth as to say something, but instead of words his eyes grew bigger. Had he realized what Ichigo and I now knew?

"Rukia, please tell me you're not the mother of the boy's children?"


	6. Don't choke 'coz the hair colour changed

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Don't choke 'coz the hair colour changed**

* * *

"Tensa, are you sure you're okay?" We were sneaking through the Seireitei, for the fact that we wanted to kill the Arrancars before the Captains or our parents did. We were almost at the gates when I saw Tensa's eyes flash with pain. "I think you should stay behind."

"And what am I going to say to Mom and Dad?" He held his stomach. He was in no condition to help me fight now.

"I'm sorry." the technique Tensa used to knock-out Ichigo was one of our own, only we could use it. We never tried on each other. White light poured from my hand and Tensa fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry." I moved him to the wall, leaning him against the cold bricks. Hopefully he would soon be found.

"And where do you think you're going" an aggravated and stern voice asked.

"Toshiro?" Behind me stood Toshiro, with a bandaged arm and cheek after the fight with Hisoka. _I thought he stayed in the World of the Living with the Lieutenants._

"Yuki… are you trying to sneak back? Your parents would be mad, you know?" His teal eyes looked me straight in the eyes. Everyone that has encountered him and his stare said he made them feel cold and that his eyes held a sense of bitterness, but not me.

He was with me and Tensa when we grew up. He always looked after us when nobody else could and he was our best friend. _Did he know that now?_ Because he knew not tell me to call him Captain Hitsugaya… he gave that up when I was 5. A warm memory filled my thoughts, but I quickly yanked myself out of it to try and escaped. I didn't have time for this.

"I'm going because _of_ my parents… I don't want them to be harmed." then it dawned to me "You know who my mother is?"

His sweet laugh enter the morning air…_To…Toshiro?_ "With your dad, it isn't too hard to guess. I always knew he felt something towards Kuchiki, the whole Seireitei did. Now it is just official." He laughed again and walked over to Tensa, picked him up and gestured for me to follow. I needed to get back, but I was tired too_. I want to help, I need to!_

"Don't even think of running." Toshiro's soft voice made me linger. _Go or stay?_

15 minutes later we sat in the 4th Division… and I was getting a lecture.

"Yuki! Didn't I tell you to stay?" Ichigo's voice was trying to be stern, like a father figure, but the Dad I knew in the future, is totally different than this man standing here, _trying_ to lecture me.

"Uhm Ichigo, could you come here, quickly." Rukia's- Mom's gentle voice interrupted me from answering. Silently I thanked her with my eyes. I should remember Mom like this… just in case…

He disappeared out the door. I heard Mom's faint whispers of a lecture she was giving Ichigo, about his lecture. They both entered together… always together…

"Yuki, you need to stay here, let us handle it." Ichigo looked me straight in the face. He looked tired and stressed.

"You know, you'll get greyer faster like this." he hand shot up to his hair "and you can't actually lecture me."

"I may not be your father yet… but I will…" I started to laugh. He was taking this so seriously.

"No… I'll listen to you for that reason, but I am a higher rank than you now. Just call me Lieutenant." His and Rukia's mouth fell open.

"What?" his eyes grew.

"Yeah, I may not look like it." My laughter filled the air again. With that tension out of the air I told them I was just going to take a shower and then **I** was going to the World of the Living. They didn't argue… yet.

I took a shower the first chance I got, _finally._ The hot water found all the right spots on my body, it felt like the heat was healing me and giving energy. The water splashed on my face and down my neck. It felt like rain. _Rain?_ Our family has always been cursed with rain; first my mom with Kaien and then my Dad with Grandma Masaki. And mine… Sorrow grew in my heart, because it wasn't just mine, but my whole family's sorrow. I felt responsible for the pain we went and are going through.

The water gathered up by my feet, I had a brownish hue to it… "Can't stop it now…" I whisper under my breath.

I draped the towel around me and went to stare at myself in the mirror. The tired violet orbs stared back at me with strands of orange intruding the picture.

Getting dressed in my robes I stepped out. Needles to say, those who saw me, was shocked beyond belief. _I really should be getting used to it._

"Your hair…" Rukia's words got stuck in her thought.

"Yeah yeah. I dyed it so you won't notice who I was, but now that you know… the hell with it." Now my darkish orange hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Strands hung against my face and eyes were stilled glued to me. Something in Ichigo's eyes looked at me and screamed 'I'm so proud'… but there was still a hint of _'shit-another-life-screwed-by-orange-ness!'_

* * *

After a meeting with Old man Yamamoto, it was resolved that Tensa and I would be the head of the operation, but that we needed help. So four Captains were assigned to help… Byakuya, Shunsui, Ukitake, and Toshiro … also 6 others… Shuuhei, Izuru, Rangiku, Ikkaku, Yumichika and a recovered Renji.

We tried to protest, but failed. The only thing we could do is make sure Mom and Dad were safe in all of this. Old man Yamamoto promised he would see to it that they are safe and in the Seireitei at all times. The trouble came when we had to tell them. After the meeting we quickly rushed to the Kuchiki Manor where they both were.

_Knock-Knock…_

The door swung open with a very happy Rukia behind it. "Oh. Is the meeting already done?" she giggled and Ichigo joined her.

"So what is the verdict" He asked as we walked to the living room.

"We are going back with 4 Captains and 6 others"

"Wow, _we_ are taking a whole army." I shrugged when he said 'we'…

"No… we as, in Tensa and I… you're staying." His amber eyes turned to face us, filled with confusion and a little bit of rage.

"What?" He clearly didn't like it at all.

"You need to stay out of danger, completely." Tensa's voice was soft against mine, but when he spoke everyone listened. He was a lot like our Mother. They looked sweet and soft, but they packed a mean punch.

"This is so idiotic…"

"Don't you get it; if you're even hurt a little, we might never be born…maybe not even our whole family would exist. I don't like the odds." Ichigo's eyes slumped to the floor. He already knew he had a family in the future, and he already wanted to protect them.

"Fine." His eyes rose to us again "But promise me, you'll come back alive." Both Tensa and I nodded and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Rukia's voice filled the room.

"To get ready, we leave in two hours." Ichigo and Rukia walked us to the door and looked both us in the eye. As we started to walk back to the Barracks where all our stuff were, Ichigo's voice stopped us. "Be careful… Yuki, Tensa" I froze… It felt like we were parting again. But it didn't stop us; this needed to be done.

* * *

Two hours later we stood in front of the gates. "Now or Never…" Ukitake's gentle voice encouraged us. The big doors flung open, but instead of a black emptiness; bright red greeted us.

It was a cero! I quickly jumped in front to protect the others, crisscrossing my arms in front of me. The cero's power diverted to the sides away from everyone.

"Thank you for opening the door for us, Yuki" Obito's voice came from the light still pushing me back. I had no other choice; I needed to summon my Zanpaktou.

Since I don't carry _Kaen no Shinzo_ around with me, because of the immense Spiritual pressure surrounding it that I couldn't contain, I hid it within me; In a secret dimension only I could access.

"Raise your head in the ashes… Kaen no Shinzo" My Zanpaktou materialized in the air surrounding me; in both hands I grabbed a green hilt of a sword. "Getsuga Tenso!" Green reiatsu clashed against the red Cero and as soon as it came; it was gone. When all of us regained our eyesight, we saw the remaining 14 Espada in front of us. Looks like the team of Shinigami that was left in the World of the Living took out a few.

"Kaen no Shinzo, we meet again." Obito's voice haunted me "Just like last time, but this time I'm not covered in blood." Rage filled me!

"Stop it you son of a bitch! You'll not speak of that!" Tensa froze behind me, he also knew what happened the last time, in the future, Obito and I fought. We lost someone… someone dear to us.

Suddenly the Seireitei's alarm went off, it would be just a few minutes and all the other Shinigami would be here; more lives in danger. The only choice was to go back to the World of the Living stay or fight here in the Seireitei. We needed a plan and fast; then I remembered we could form a barrier only we could access and exit.

"Tensa! The Barrier! We need to keep them in and the _others _out!" he knew exactly what I was talking about. He quickly closed his eyes and started to chant. Obito saw him and started to attack, but I quickly intercepted him. "You are mine!" I growled. He drew his Zanpaktou and uttered the words I dreaded. "Let's fight at full power." He smirked as if he already won. "Damaged Hinan!" His body was engulfed in pure black light and seconds later there stood a monster in front of us. His blades were enormous. I couldn't see his eyes or nose or mouth, for his whole face was covered with a white mask. _Looks more like a balloon_. He looked my way and jolted forward for an attack, but then stopped. Only seconds passed and it felt like an invisible Cero hit me. I flew back, my back slammed against a wall more than a mile away. Blood gushed from my mouth and it flowed from my back. I struggled to get up, but just as I was standing I felt an attack nearing, blocking the attack was hard… especially because I couldn't see it.

"Yuki, remember that day, it was raining. You were bleeding profusely and then you brother is it, came… oh I wished I could've killed them both, but unfortunately I could only kill your mother…" I didn't want to here.

"Stop it!" anger wasn't what I felt. I was in enraged! "You are going to die. Today. Burn the air to Ashes Kaen no Shinzo".


	7. A Zanpaktou of many voices, but one soul

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 7 : A Zanpaktou of many voice, but one soul**

* * *

I stood holding my trusted Zanpaktou in its Shikai form, power, rage, anger, adrenaline rushed through me. I felt everything slow down. Or I was moving faster?

I felt another invisible Cero heading my way; I quickly dodged to the right. Where had I stood the ground, was no more. Whatever he used to attack was way stronger than a Cero.

"Have you noticed yet, this isn't a Cero." I heard him smirk under his mask. He was stronger than last time, way stronger. I ran to attack him; spark after spark flew as our blades met. After using all my power and will, I didn't even scratch him.

"Oh Yuki, what happened? Don't you want to kill me?" his voice taunted me again and again with the same comments.

Yes, I wanted him dead.

I wanted him to feel the pain my whole family is feeling every day of the last year. He took her. And I will take is his life for that. Over the whole Seireitei battles were brewing. The Captains were fighting in the barrier that Tensa created and no other Shinigami could come in contact with the Arrancars. I felt the Captains change to Bankai one by one. Each was powerful and had an enemy just as powerful. Deep down I had a feeling; a feeling that this battle was just the start of a war.

Obito lunged at me again and I just managed to block his attack. Then another invisible Cero came my way. "It is called Momoku no yami; Blind darkness, don't you think it is fitting?" again his voice found my ears.

"Why won't you die!?" I felt tears just waiting to stream down my face. But for one second, I lost sight of him. Next moment, one of his blades sliced me down. Blood gushed from the wound that formed down my shoulder over my back. The pain; it blinded me. I fell forward, but I used Kaen no Shinzo to block my fall and keep me up.

"Are you still trying?"

"I'll never stop until your dead. Get…suga… Ten… so!" it felt like the earth started to move under my feet. I was engulfed with lime green light, as my Reaistu poured out of me. The attack caught Obito of guard and a huge wound appeared over his chest.

"YOU THINK THAT WOULD STOP ME?" his voice roared.

"No this will" a soft voice chanted behind him "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Ice flew out of Rukia's blade. Obito just dodged the attack, but didn't look closely behind him… again.

"Getsuga Tenso…!" Ichigo's voice boomed and hit Obito from behind. Obito fell to the floor in a great cloud of dust and sand, he was not dead, not even close, but the break from fighting til the death was needed. I felt relieved to be safe, but at what cost? I was here to protect them and now they're protecting me. "How… how did you break Tensa's barrier?" They could attack Obito and Obito could attack them, but the barrier?

"What barrier?" Ichigo's voice fell silent on me.

The only way that the barrier would break… if Tensa was unconscious or… I forced myself not to think of it. He was strong, in a sense stronger than me.

"No." the word made its way out of my mouth. He couldn't… I wanted to search for his reiatsu, but Obito's Reaistu found me first.

"MOM, DAD GO NOW!" They needed to get out of here. Ichigo's hand found my shoulder. "No… I'll protect you." He void softly to me.

"Please…" Tears rolled down my cheeks, they needed to get away. Obito wouldn't hesitate to kill them and if they die… so do I… Tensa… Ichigo's eyes were wild, but he looked tired. His powers weren't too their full, and like this, he won't survive. "PLEASE!" I shouted again.

Rukia took Ichigo by the arm. "Let's go" her voice was shaky and I knew she was holding tears back. They knew me for a week and only for two days that I was their daughter. Did they already love us?

As they walked away, very hesitantly. But it wasn't short lived. A Momoku no Yami came from the side. Again I flew miles from where I was originally fighting. I crashed to the ground, when I willed my eyes open I saw blood be spilled and sweat falling like raindrops. The Captains looked tired and dead on their feet, but so did their enemies. With a glance I saw Tensa coughing up blood, over him stood Hisoka, ready to take the finally swing.

But just in the nick of time Tensa created a barrier, without a word or chant.

He was known throughout the Seireitei as _The boy who tamed Kido_. Yes, he completely mastered it. He could do anything, he didn't even need to use the chant or say which attack it was. He was good, no great in the Demon Arts.

His eyes grew, and I felt his power getting stronger. "Bankai Kanashimi no yajirushi!" his reiatsu increased and orange light engulfed him. When I could see again, he stood straight. Holding his Bankai, a bow and arrow, but not like a Quincy's, the black steel blended with his orange reiatsu… one of his arrows could destroy a town, much like Karakura.

I would've wanted to see his fight, but I had my own. Obito reappeared standing tall and strong near me.

"You know Yuki, I know you have a Bankai. Why don't you fight me with it?"

I did have one, but I was afraid. The first and last time I used it, _they_ gained the power to destroy and go to other times… it was my fault.

For some reason when my Bankai attacked I gave them power. The same power that flowed through me. Captain Mayuri's only explanation was that I used the wrong summing phrase, but to me it felt right. _'Burn the heart of the corrupted and evil Kaen no Shinzo'_

_Wrong?_

Then a voice filled me. Not one; it felt like hundreds. Maybe even thousands.

'_We are one with you Yuki. We are you and you are us. Together we escape the barriers of Kaen no Shinzo. We are more. You saved us. We were struck down, almost dead, but you picked us up.'_

I knew what this voice meant. During my youth I never had a Zanpaktou; they say a Zanpaktou is born out of your soul, mine didn't. Many tired to make me one, but as I held the sword or swords in my hands; the blade started to crumple and break, pieces of broken blades always surrounded me. I soon gave up, knowing that I would never have a Zanpaktou.

Until…

* * *

_The night was neither cold nor warm. I found myself sitting on our Manor's roof, _again_. I_ _felt alone. I may have a loving family and someone who loved me for me. But when I walked around the Seireitei; I saw Shinigami with their Zanpaktou._

_I was strong no doubt about I, but I yearned for a blade, another soul to talk to. Days blurred together. And yet no Zanpaktou._

_One day, it wasn't long after my 15__th__ birthday, a small voice started to talk to me. I thought I was crazy, but it grew louder… more._

_When the day came that it was so loud that I couldn't hear a person next to me, I felt a crazy as a monkey in a jumpsuit running to the moon next to a banana fly! It kept repeating the same phrase over and over. My mind later went numb; soon everybody started to notice. _

'_Trust in us… We'll guide you to a place where we hide' the voice kept going on and on. And one night; I gave in…_

'_Were the hell must I go, stupid voice!' I was finally crazy._

'_To your inner world, Yuki' _

_I've never been in mine, nor did I know I had one. Everything went quiet; it was calm. I closed my eyes, as the darkness followed me in. I heard the sea and wind. I opened my eyes and I was on the beach. But I was alone… _

'_Where are you?' I ached to hear the voice again, the voice who followed me day in and day out… was gone. A sat down on a rock nearby, not knowing what to do next. The waves broke and the water had foam of hair. The salt smell filled the air and the sunset coloured the sky with all sorts of pink, red, orange, purple and blue hues._

_It felt like hours had gone by, but the scenery didn't change. _

'_Please…' my words had no meaning anymore and I was stuck in this world._

'_Call me.'_

_My eyes searched for the voice, but saw nothing._

'_Call me.'_

_Again I searched._

_My mouth was dry, but the words it came just in time _

'_Raise your head in the ashes… Kaen no Shinzo'._

_The sunset changed to a starry sky and the ocean became tame. From the distance a saw a figure walking on the beach. My legs jolted forward, this person was Kaen no Shinzo._

_A man just as long as my father, with green hair and sapphire blue eyes stood in front of me._

'_We finally meet, my dear Yuki' His pale hand touched my cheek and I found myself back in my room. With the voices gone. But now, I didn't feel so alone._

_Weeks passed and nothing happened. It wasn't until I was in the World of the Living that I felt the need to have a Zanpaktou; it was when a small girl's soul was being hunted by a hollow, that I found the courage to usher those words again. _

"_Raise your head in the ashes… Kaen no Shinzo"_

_And there I found myself clutching two blades, my blades._

* * *

Blood had been spilt and I was the cause, but I'll also be the cure.

"Obito!" he looked my way and deep down I felt him smile "You want my Bankai so that you can have more of my strength, that ain't gonna happen! I'll kill you in my Shikai!" confidence rose in me. I can and will do this.

"No, my dear Yuki, you'll die!"

The battle continued; attack after attack I tried to get to him, but he had the ability to go invisible, but only for two to three minutes at a time. More than enough to injure me. My wounds had become to grave for me to ignore, but I blocked out the pain.

A wave of fire made contact with his arm and he hissed under his breath. I threw another, but missed him by an inch. I was becoming immune to his invisible Cero; learning on the job was quite useful.

Attacking him from all sides helped, but he still had a lot of power and energy left, where I didn't. I was panting heavily when the voice came again. _'Call me!'_

In my mind I saw the real words, the real phrase, the one I didn't know many years back.

"Burn the hearts of the corrupted and evil Kaen no Shinzo… Sokyoku!"


	8. A secret that should be untold

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 8: A secret that should be untold**

* * *

"_Now remember they don't know you… yet. So I think it is best we make up new names for you, just in case." His eyes were tired and red. He must have been crying again._

"_Oh, I want to be called Sakura! Like the__ cherry-blossoms__!" my voice sounded abnormally cheerful, but I hid every feeling, ever emotion that would bring me to tears._

"_Yuki, be real… we need something that almost sounds the same as our own names." Tensa was being smart again._

"_Fine… I'll be…" Sounds like my name… "Yu… Yumida."_

"_Yumida. Okay, Tensa and you?"_

"_Tamaki…"_

"_Yumida and Tamaki, right. Remember don't let them know who you are."_

"_Dad… chillax! We got this. It is just the past not much to worry about, well maybe the Arrancars and Old man Yamamoto…"_

"_That reminds me. If they ask if you can be trusted, show him this." Ichigo took a small silver box from his coat. _

"_What is that?" Both Tensa and I asked._

"_Just an old artifact from our family. Just… be careful. Both of you. And Yuki…" He glared at me, as if he knew I was going to do something stupid._

_The portal opened and without a word; we left._

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

Flames roared to life around me.

'_Kaen no Shinzo? What?'_ My mind was confused. How on earth could something like this happen? Last time I held my Bankai, I just had different blades, and no fire.

But this… _Sokyoku?_ I have heard stories from Mom about how Dad saved her from the Sokyoku, a Zanpaktou unmatched in power; it consisted out of thousands of Zanpaktous and when it's released; it can stand up to Old man Yamamoto's Zanpaktou.

But it was destroyed by Ukitake and Shunsui… _how is this possible?_

"Sokyoku?" My mouth whispered.

"That is a different Bankai!" Obito surprised me from behind; he lunged to attack, but in my mind I stopped him. The flames surrounded him and a bloodthirsty scream came from the flames. My body hadn't moved, yet when I thought of stopping it, the flames did what I thought.

'_That is our power, Yuki'_ Kaen no Shinzo Sokyoku whispered.

From that moment, I knew I had the power to protect everyone. I retracted the flames and stood still while I watched Obito fall to the ground. Dust filled the air where he fell and I wanted to make sure he was dead, so I shun-poed closer.

"Y..u…ki." he was still alive, but only barely.

"Obito!" I wanted to attack again, but I needed answers only he could give "Why do you want Tensa and me dead, before we are even born? MY Bankai gave you the power to come here!"

Although he was weak and battered he started to laugh. "You… think you… gave us our… power?"

I knew I have them the power, when I released my Bankai in the future they became stronger. That is what the science in it all said.

"But… where did you get…" my words trailed off. They had a Master, someone gave them the power, and it wasn't me. The guilt I had… the guilt that made me hate myself… wasn't ever mine to feel.

"He…" his words turned softer "He will kill you. Just like I killed your mother."

Obito's body became still, then his mask started to crack and break. A few moment later ashes were what greeted me.

'_I avenged you mother'_ I tried holding my tears back, but the wetness found my cheeks and my body the floor. Darkness greeted me with open arms.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The Seireitei was overwhelmed with battles. Blood filled the air and death filled our hearts. Ichigo stood next to me. His hands tighten into fists, he wanted to fight. But he had promise Yuki he wouldn't. "She'll be fine" my voice was weak and I tried to convince myself of it too. His eyes haven't moved from the direction her and Tensa's Reaistu came from. Tensa was already weak, he probably was done fighting, but Yuki's… It was bouncing up and down.

Suddenly her power dipped.

"Yuki…" Ichigo's voice was soft.

Then not a moment later, it picked up and not only did it grow; it was enormous. She was every bit of her Dad as he ever was or is. My eyes could see in the distance that the buildings were on fire. _Or were they?_

"Do you think we should go?" I knew his answer, but I had to ask.

We quickly shun-poed to the location of the flames. There we saw that the buildings weren't on fire. The sky was; Yuki was controlling it. Seconds later the fire disappeared and a body fell from the sky.

When it crashed to the floor, Yuki followed, she probably didn't see us for her attention was focused on the enemy.

At first I couldn't hear what they said, but the last words both Ichigo and me heard as clear as day…

"like I killed your mother"…

Was that why they came back; was that why both Tensa and Yuki had worried looks in their eyes when they looked at me?

The days between the fight when Tensa was healing, Ichigo spoke to Yuki a lot. Both Yuki and Tensa knew I figured out, with some help from Ichigo, that I was their mother, but they didn't say anything. They greeted me, but not more. It felt awkward. But now I knew why; because they already lost me.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Yuki started to fall forward. Ichigo quickly stepped in to catch her. Her pulse was weak, but she was still alive.

After we got her to the 4th Division, Ichigo set out to help the others and to find Tensa. Yuki had been unconscious for more than an hour before Ichigo returned. Tensa walked beside him, but Ichigo's arm supported him.

"Is she okay? I felt her Spiritual Pressure… change, when she was battling." He sounded tired, but looked worse. After he defeated Hisoka he helped some lower ranked Shinigami fight the hollows that the Arrancars had called forth.

He sat down on the opposite site I sat and took Yuki's hand and whispered "Thank you." It was almost inaudible. When Tensa looked my way his eyes were close to tears, but he had a smile on his lips.

"I'm glad you are okay." Tensa held his tears and his voice trembled.

"Tensa, you should get looked at. You don't look to good." Ichigo laid his hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'll go in a bit, I just want to stay awhile"

"Tensa… I need to know. Does Rukia die in the future?" Both Tensa and my head snapped up. I didn't what to know, but I stayed… and listened.

Tensa looked at Ichigo. And then both looked at me. I hadn't realized it, but I was crying. Ichigo made his way around the bed and took me in his embrace. This wasn't normal, we never hugged, we never had any emotional connections, but now that our feelings have come to the surface… we couldn't let go.

"Yes." The word I feared came from Tensa's mouth.

Ichigo hid his face in my hair, I knew he wasn't crying, but he was at the brink of it.

"Well it's not for many years… so quit crying" Yuki's voice made all of us jump.

"Sis..." Tensa said shocked.

"Yeah, yeah." She brushed the orange hair from her face and then turned to me and Ichigo. "Don't worry about it yet. Let's worry at the problem at hand." Deep down I knew she was also crying, but she needed to act tough… to save us.

"Yes, but only if you let me fight." Ichigo was so persistent. Tensa's eyes looked weary.

"No… I'm sorry… we can't risk-"

"Risk? You know I'll win…" Ichigo glared at both Tensa and Yuki.

"Look we know you will win. But there's a slight chance that you get hurt-"

"I won't"  
"Shut up, Damn Strawberry" I wanted to hear their reason, maybe it had a clue to the future.

"You'll get hurt and… and…" Tensa looked at Yuki… and Yuki looked at Tensa with _don't-make-me say-this-please_ look.

"And maybe we won't be… conceived." Both Ichigo and I choked on our breath; know we knew why they didn't want to say it out loud.

"Hang on…" Ichigo's voice was the first to break the silence "When are you suppose to be born." He had a point.

"Uhm… we can't actually say the date… uhm just know it is next year sometime."

"Next year!" My mouth gaped.

Yuki glared at Tensa "You know we will get in so much trouble. How many Arrancars are left?" _Thank you, a change in subject._

"Only two or three, but they are being hunted by the 8th Squad. So the war is almost over. And you can go home" Yuki's eyes didn't light up like I expected; they seemed more worried.

"I need to speak with Old man Moto…" she started to get out of the bed, Tensa did nothing to stop her for he held the same expression.

"You two need to rest." Ichigo thought it too and nodded.

"I wish we could, but the war has just begun.

* * *

Two hours later we stood in the meeting hall with all the other Captain's. All of them were wrapped in bandages; prove of the battle that was fought today. Yuki was standing, but not stable at all, Ichigo saw this, but at this time; we could only watch.

"Captain, there is more than just Arrancars. And _it_ is stronger than anything we have ever encountered." I didn't like the way she said _it_.

"Girl, why didn't you speak sooner." Yamamoto held his pose and glare at Yuki, but Tensa intervened. "Sir, we knew if they stayed in the World of the Living, we could win them, for _it_ is weaker there." And again… _it._

Why didn't they want us to know what _it_ was. "But we had no idea they would come to the Seireitei; here, it is so much stronger. You see the Arrancars have a master, at first we thought he just created them and they out grew his power by taking power from Yuki." Yuki looked away at her name "But today we realized, they didn't… _it_ gave them power. Now we know, this enemy is strong."

"Is it just one person?"

"Not a person…an entity" _Entity?_ "It used to be a…" he hovered "Shinigami" I expected gasps, but after the whole Aizen story; it is not so far fetch as it sounds.

"What can we do to stop it?"

"For now, nothing. If it is in hiding; somewhere in the Seireitei. We can't to do anything, but wait."

Toshiro's voice ripped though the room "It is already here?"

"Yes. When the Arrancars entered, it should have slipped in; that is the only reason the Arrancars came here in the first place."

"So now, we wait… recover and train for the battle that is on our doorstep" Shunsui's voice sounded alert, but still relaxed. _Like always._

* * *

After the meeting had ended we took Yuki and Tensa back to the 4th Division so they could rest and recover. On impact with the pillow Tensa was asleep, but Yuki just sat in her bed looking out the window. "Mom…" I jolted when she called me that, it was so unreal to hear it "Can I speak with you alone?"

"Yeah, sure." I walked to her bed and sat next to her in the arm chair. I threw a quick glance back at Ichigo, he walked out of the door and signaled me he would be just right outside, waiting. When he closed the door Yuki looked at me and started to speak.

"Mom…" she sounded like she was going to start to cry.

"Y… yes"

"I'm sorry you found out. We were trying to keep it a secret. But…"

"Don't worry. It's far in the future." I laid my hand on hers, she didn't seem shocked.

"I know… it just, we were so cold to you now…because…" tears started to flow "…we can't get close to you now… I don't want to lose you again…"

"Shhh. You don't have to talk about it." I touched her cheek and dried her tears with my hand. She may not be my daughter yet, but I did already love her. "Now get some rest."

She placed her head slowly on her pillow, as I started to walk out the door.

"Mom…" I looked back "… remember… I love you."


	9. When Love or Guilt takes over

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 9: When love or guilt takes over…**

* * *

Ichigo and I left for training early the next morning. We were almost the only ones without injuries; we needed to be ready. When Ichigo came to pick me up for training, there was something… awkward about the situation. Walking in silence seemed like the best way to go.

We were training at the 6th Divisions barracks, Byakuya made sure we would train there. _Wonder why?_

For an hour Ichigo and I spared, but then after I tried to teach him Kido… _again_, he started to become weak again. He was out of breath and panting heavily. I wanted to ask him to stop, but I knew he wouldn't, his eyes had a way of saying_… 'just let me do this'._

"Let's take a break" after 3 hours of training, both of us agreed.

"Rukia…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing." He looked at the sky, resting against the tree and took deep breaths. When he closed his eyes, his breathing immediately slowed down. He was sleeping.

"YOU CAN'T SLEEP ON THE JOB!" Ichigo's eyes flew open when a certain red Pineapple yelled from the barracks.

"Renji! You idiot" I was mad too, Ichigo needed to rest and now he went and woke him up.

"Oi, Renji!" Ichigo wiped the sleep from his eyes and stood up "Want to spar?"

Renji agreed and the two of them soon started to battle. One orange top, so tired he would sleep for 4 days and one redhead that is still covered in bandages. _Idiots!_

I decided to go to get something to eat from the Barracks; I wasn't training anymore and I was getting to upset watching the two males go at each other. It was completely empty inside; with no food! I was seriously hunger. So, I slowly made my way back and found two Shinigami, not fighting anymore, but sitting and talking. I didn't want to disturb their 'talk' so I hid behind the wall. And unfortunately I could hear what they were saying.

"… too fast for me?" I recognized Ichigo's voice.

"Baka, of course it is. You weren't even thinking of going out with her. And now you already have a family; well sorta" Renji was giving Ichigo advice on women? That was seriously wrong. Renji's feelings for me weren't a secret anymore and we all knew it. He knew how I felt, but mostly I was angry at him. He never did anything.

How should I have known he loved me?

"No no… you see I really do like Rukia, but I thought… she didn't so…" _like?_

"You gave up on your feelings?"

"No… Not exactly… I just learned to live with the pain. Those two years without you guys, I missed her so much. And when I saw her again…I can't describe how I felt… but now… it will never be the same again."

"But why are you pushing it? You are forcing a relationship on her and on yourself"

There was silence after Renji had spoken and I knew why; Ichigo didn't want a relationship.

"It is for Tensa and Yuki's sake. How can I just give up on them?"

"How can you love someone, who says they're your children… even if you never met them?" I wanted to know that too, because deep down, I already love them and it had me confused.

"I don't know… but when Tensa was hurt; it felt like my fault. And when Yuki looks at me… I feel proud."

"You are getting soft Ichigo… or should I call you _Daddy_?" Ichigo didn't reply in words, but a solid fist to Renji's face.

The rest of the conversation I didn't hear, I didn't want to. Ichigo wasn't ready for a relationship, yet he kissed me and told me he was. My heart had false hope from the beginning; those two years. It did destroy the only chance we had. I felt tears threaten to roll down my face. Stopping them would really be a bother, since I gave into them too easy.

Not wanting to look Ichigo in the face; I walked home, without saying good bye.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Yuki? Are you awake?"

"I am now. What's up?" it felt like only minutes ago that I fought Obito. My body felt like it was going to fall apart every time I took a breath.

"Mom and Dad ain't the same… they… how can I put it…"

"They don't love each other." Tensa jolted at the words, but he didn't seem so phased. But it was true; our parents in the future weren't like this. They would fight all the time and the next second they would kiss, they weren't soft on each other and they didn't look at each other like this. _Now_ they look, but don't see.

"They are forcing their relationship, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Now we know why Dad –in the future- said we shouldn't tell _them_ who we are. It all my fault"

"Yuki… don't start the _I-blame-myself_ thing. Yeesh!"

"Tensa…" I could only glare at him, somehow he was right. But it didn't help the fact that I felt guilty.

"Look, remember the stories?" He was referring to all the bedtime stories Rukia always told us. It was of her own creation, but it was always about a orange haired boy and violet eyed girl, who met and fell in love. "Well in each one of them, the boy needed a _push_, remember?" I nodded "Maybe we are that _push_?"

I had never thought of that, maybe us traveling to the past, made our parents fall in love?

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

I don't know what happened, but I was walking home and the next moment Ichigo was yelling my name as he ran to me. "Rukia… stop! Rukia… come on stop. I'm tired." But he kept running.

"Come on…" he reached me and touched my shoulder with his wide hand "Why did you leave?"

I didn't turn around nor did I answer his question.

"Rukia?" still no answer. "Midget… Ouch… what was that for…" Words didn't greet him, my foot did.

"Rukia… are you mad at me?"

I wanted to stop my mouth, but too late. "Yes, you baka!"

That was probably not what he wanted to hear. "Why?"

"I don't know. Just go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." To be honest, I really didn't want to see him tomorrow- or the day after that- or the day after that. I wanted to be _Strawberry-Free._

"Is this because I spared with Renji? And not with you?" _Oh my soul_, he really is an idiot.

"Yeah… dumbass." I continued to walk and ignoring the tears that would come any moment.

"Rukia?" He was still close to me, maybe too close. His arm flew around my waist and I felt him pull me to him. This is when I started to kick and scratch him.

"Leave me alone, okay! Just go!" I wasn't strong enough, tears flowed over my cheeks down my neck into an abyss. _What has happened to the strong, independent Rukia? _

_She fell in love._

"Rukia!" I almost never cried, yet now I almost cry every day. Was this because I know I'm going to die in the future or that Ichigo's love for me is fake?

"Ichigo… just go"

"No." his persistence had me shocked.

"Why are you pushing this… for Yuki and Tensa?"

Silence - awkward silence - until he spoke again. "You heard that?" I nodded in agreement "I'm sorry…" his voice was low and almost inaudible.

"It's fine. Just let me go. We still have our OWN future." Maybe our destinies were never meant to be intertwined. What would have happened if I never stepped through his window? If he never found the power to protected his family? If he never met me?

This was pathetic, I ripped myself from his gripped, turned to him and kicked him on the shin.

"What was that for, Midget?" he rubbed his shin and little teardrops gather in his eyes.

"For telling me you love me and not meaning it, now, go rest. So I can kick your butt properly tomorrow." I then turned away; not looking back, holding my chin in the air and hoping for the best.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The hours in the same hospital bed was endlessly boring. Tensa was sleeping the whole time, snoring as usual and I was hoping that us being here was a good thing.

After Unohana came to check up on us, I quietly slipped out of my bed, put on my robes and headed for the window. I needed to get information on… _it_.

How could _it_ be so strong; last time_ it_ was as weak as a human, even weaker. It surprised us when it made Arrancars and well; was still _alive_.

_How?_ It bothered me… _and why?_

The Seireitei was quiet and peaceful, there were no battles, no shouting; something I always dreamed of.

I passed by the 6th Division's training ground and saw Ichigo talking to Renji. It must have been serious, because both looked like the day the bad news came that Rukia...

* * *

_Obito had me cornered, my blood was pouring out from everywhere and my eyesight was hazy for the blood. The rain didn't help either; it was pouring down. _

_My clothes were soaked and puddles started to form. If only I could release my bankai, then this low life piece of shit would see its ass. But that made me more afraid than anything else._

_He wasn't even in his released form and he was kicking my butt. He raised his blade over his head; preparing for the finale attack._

_I didn't want to give up, but I had nothing left; not an ounce of strength or energy. I let my head drop in shame. Is this how it was going to end? How pathetic. I was one of the strongest  
Shinigami since birth. I even had a special necklace to suppress my powers, so I won't hurt anyone. And now this asshole was going to kill me; that wasn't going happen. My head snapped up. Obito's eyes were still on me. His blade came down, fast. _

_But luckily; I was faster. I blocked his blade and attacked. Blood gushed from his hip as Kaen no Shinzo sliced him._

"_Go Yuki!" I small, innocent voice came from behind and I wasn't the only one who saw him. My little brother Raidon had followed me everywhere since he could walk, it never bothered me that much, but why today? He was just 5 years old; it was my duty to protect him, but my body didn't want to move and I fell to the ground. _

_Obito took his chance and plunged forward, sword at the ready… I couldn't see… next I heard blood splatter, an unbearable scream. Then, nothing. With no sight, I thought…_

"_RAIDON!" _

"_Yuki…" I felt a small hand on my arm… "It's mommy."_

_The last sound was the quiet sobs from my brother and the rain gently dripping down from the heavens._

_A day later, I woke up in my bed covered in bandages from almost head to toe, why hadn't Tensa healed me? Then I remembered. "MOM!" I shot up and pain shot through me, but it didn't matter. I ran through house; until I stopped in the living room. Momo was sitting with Masaki, who was playing with a piece of metal. For a 1 and a half year old, she was strong. Then I caught Momo's eyes; bloodshot and wet._

"_Momo?" I asked troubled._

"_Yuki, you should go to bed." she said between the sobs._

"_What happened? Where is my mom?" her head shot to the opposite direction at the word Mom._

"_You should rest…"_

"_Where is my mom?" I became confused "WHERE IS SHE?" _Something_ had happened, something, I knew what, but I pushed it away from my mind. _

"_Yuki…" a stern, sad, voice came from behind_

"_Bya… my mom?" Byakuya shook his head… she's dead…_

"_MOM!" Tears made their way out and my knees gave away. Strong arms surrounded me, to help comfort me. "It's my fault. I should have been stronger! Mommy! Mom! Come back! Mommy!" _

_It felt like I was crying for hours on end, when Tensa and Ichigo walked through the door. Tensa looked tired, worse his eyes were red and hints of tears were visible. _

"_Dad. I'm sorry, it is my fault. I tried…" his eyes were cold, emotionless. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. The orange haired Shinigami looked at all his children gathered in front of him, turned around and walked to his bedroom._

_For a week he was locked in there, they tried giving him food, talking to him; nothing worked._

"_This is my fault Tensa…" the first words that came from my mouth in 6 days. And it was the truth._

* * *

With the memory of that day fresh in my mind, I headed to the 12th Division for some information I could use. Anything would help now.

I needed to find _it_… before _it_ found me.


	10. It' should be dead!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 10: It should be dead**

* * *

_**A/N: At this part of the story, Chapter 433 of Bleach was just released, so there is no mentioning of Fullbringers or the Quincy War. Also, I don't dwell on the little factor of how Ichigo regained his powers.**_

* * *

The 12th Division had freaked me out since I was a kid, luckily I rarely visit it. The room I was waiting in was dark and smelt of a sort of acid. No one was there; I searched for other people's reiatsu, but nothing. Not even Nemu was here. The tower seemed dead and cold, like something was bringing pain to it.

The lights were bright, but everything felt dim. The main hall was reminding me of a doctor's waiting room. _I don't like doctor's waiting rooms._ I have spent too many times in one; waiting and mostly fearing. The only joys I've ever felt in a waiting room; were when my siblings were born. I breathed the acid scent in and my stomach turned sour. When I finally got tired of just sitting around; I took a little stroll to see what I could find.

It was abnormal for this place to be so empty. Captain Mayuri must be here somewhere. I walked into a room filled with large containers with glowing liquid inside.

"This dude is seriously disturbed". The rooms just continued and I walked and walked and walked. At the end of the hall I came to a stop. The few times I've been here I walked around a lot, and this was where the computer room was in the future and it should be here in the past to. One door down, one I didn't even see the first time, portrayed a big sign **CONTROL ROOM. **I turned back and headed out.

"Yuki."

I swore I heard my name, but it could've been my imagination. _But if it wasn't?_ The corridor went on forever. "Wait, the exit should be here?"

_Shit… I'm so lost!_ I turned into a room just to find another corridor. _This is so fucked up_. Then my nostrils filled with the smell acid.

_Oh thank god…! _

The smell got heavier as I continued to walk down the hall. The hall ended to, but this time there was a door. _The computer room?_

The door swung open. "Oops, you found me Yuki." Sitting in front of the huge computer screens, that had the whole Seireitei under surveillance, sat that entity, sat _it_.

I wanted to summon Kaen no Shinzo, but I was held in place, no arms surrounded me and I felt no Reaistu holding me down. Not that any Reaistu can hold me down.

Sitting and staring at me intently_ it_ got up.

"I really don't like you, Yuki." It wasn't human, nor hollow or anything close to that. It had a scrawny figure, thin and frail. Its head was covered in something that should not be named hair, it was in a dark orange hue. _It_ stood up and walked to me. Stopping beside me, its hand tilted my head upwards so I could stare in his eyes, but it had no eyes; just dark pools of abyss. It held sorrow and pain. His fingers touched my cheek and it felt like ice grew on the spot. I wasn't the biggest fan of cold weather, some always argued with me about it. Hot vs. Cold; neither ever won.

"You look scared, Yuki." Its voice was detached from any feeling, any sense of righteous.

"How?" I was there starting to wonder how this _creature/Shinigami/hollow/ I-have-no-fucking-clue-what_ was still alive and so power.

_I should get some answer while I am at it._ But getting answers was going to be hard and maybe painful.

"I have the same power as you, Yuki, don't you feel it?" The way _it_ said my name, just made me sick to the stomach. And no, I didn't feel whatever I should have felt. That's why it is so hard to track it; _it_ has no reiatsu or anything near it. The only time we had seen it was after Mom had died; it came to snarl and rub her death in our faces.

"You bastard, don't compare me to you!"

"Yuki, I'm not, I'm just stating the facts. If I should compare us; I would be God and you a lonely ant under my control." I tried again to break free, but my efforts were useless.

"Ha! You can't be that powerful!" I had no idea why I was provoking it, but it was getting mad – I think - I couldn't really see its face very well.

"Oh, I am." So nonchalant, so emotionless at the same time… _what is he?_

"Why do you want us dead? What do you have against my family?"

"You killed me once. Now, it is my turn. I'll take everything away from you, before you ever took your first breath. Just like me!" What was he talking about? I had this sense that somehow there was a bond between us.

"Let me go! And fight me!"

"In your condition… ha! I couldn't be bothered." I knew what he was talking about, the 4th Division tried the best, but my injuries after my battle with Obito was severe. But yet, I snuck out to find the answer everyone was searching for. When he reminded me of my current state of health; a crippling pain inhabited my body.

"Who are you?" My words barely came out over the pain, _why was I in pain now_? I had been fine on my way here and now…

"The _entity_ that was destroyed, before it could take your mother's life"

_Entity?_ It had been listing to our conversations.

"What?" I wanted to continue talking and getting answers out of the enemy, but the pain; felt like death was knocking on my door.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

It's been an hour since I last saw Ichigo. I still couldn't believe what had unfolded. I was pacing in my room, when I heard footsteps come from outside. _Not now Ichigo._ There was a gentle knock on the door and a voice that held no emotion. "Rukia, may I enter."

"Y…Yes, Nii-sama." Why was Byakuya here? I really wasn't in the mood for his moods, well his non-existing moods. The door slid open and a tall dark haired man walked in. His face held no emotion and yet, his eyes were worried.

"Rukia, what happened between you and that boy?" _Ichigo…_ why on earth should I speak with Byakuya about this?

"Nii-sama? Nothing, nothing at all." By nothing; I meant more than anyone could or should know. He came closer to me, he looked out of the window and inhaled deeply and then spoke.

"Rukia, this _relationship_ between you and this boy is something I can't forbid, but I'm highly against it. I already broke the rules by marring… Hisana and by doing that I brought shame to our family name. But it looks like, in the future, you get away with it. So..." he gulped… _he actually gulped _"If you want to be in a relationship with that boy… Ichigo Kurosaki… I would respect your decision." I was totally speechless, beyond that; I was breathless. But I quickly pulled myself away from gasping for air and composed myself.

"Thank you, Nii-sama, but you don't have to worry, it actually looks like there won't be a relationship." The words hurt me more than I can describe. There was prove of a relationship between us, but was that all fake? Well the one thing I was certain of, is that even though I didn't want to admit it, I did … do love Ichigo. For two years I bottled it up. I was cold and emotionless. A true Kuchiki, but I was so lonely. So many times I wished I could go to the World of the Living and see that orange haired idiot, but there were too many obstacles in my way. But when I received word that a group of humans were trying to help Ichigo regain his power, I was so happy, even if I couldn't see him at the given time. But if it had resolved to it, he could see me.

"Rukia?" Byakuya held little emotion on his face, the only emotion I could see was confusion.

"Nothing to be bothered about." I flashed him one of my fake-acting smiles.

"Rukia." His voice was too stern "What happened?" Why was he meddling in like this? He never gave any thought about my relationships.

"Nothi-" I wanted to lie, but Byakuya made me scared "Ichigo doesn't love me." Straight to the point. The only way. The way I didn't really like in these situations.

I was going blind or mad, but I saw Byakuya smile… no… grin. Like someone who held a secret. "Byakuya? Nii-sama, what do you know, that I don't know?"

"Probably just the fact that he _does_ love you." the grin disappeared. Oh I wish I had a camera at that moment. _Blackmail?_

"Love? How could you possible know that.?"

"I have my ways. Just know, he does. That's why he almost died a few days back." Byakuya's eyes grew dark and almost evil.

* * *

**XXX – Byakuya - XXX**

* * *

_I just caught Rukia holding that… that thing's hand. How could I not see this coming. I promised Hisana I would protect Rukia from any dangers and he was on the top of the list.  
__"Rukia, please tell me you're not the mother of the boy's children?" _

_Both their eyes flew wide from shock, what did they think I would say? _'Oh, Rukia I see you became I kindergarten teacher_'… yeah, like that would help._

"_Byakuya… uhm… I uhm…" Ichigo was stuttering in Rukia's place, her eyes just grew distant._

"_Boy… silences your mouth." With that Ichigo went silent "Rukia, would you mind going to the manor? Alone. Right NOW." Without a word she headed to our hom,e while I had the little bastard for myself._

"_Byakuya" This boy had no respect, was Captain Kuchiki _so_ hard to say? "Uhm, oh screw this." Ichigo got a look in his eyes and it scared me "Look Byakuya, you can attack me with Senbornzakura now, but I have to say this… I love Rukia. Okay? Can you accept that?" I felt a vein pop in my head. I had no trouble that he loved her; it is just the way he said and held himself while saying it. It reminded me of that Were-Cat. _

"_Look boy! If you dare hurt her, I would inflicted more pain on you than what you have ever experienced!" What words poured from my mouth. "And who gave you permission to love her?"_

_His eyes were confused and he wasn't the only one. I was too… like an over protective big brother going on a rampage… I thought I locked these emotions away, that I have tamed my anger. Well, it doesn't look like it anymore, Ichigo Kurosaki knew how to push my buttons. Ichigo gulped._

"_Uhm, while we are on the subject." _What subject?_ "Could I ask for Rukia's hand in marriage"_

_SLAP!_

_I have never slapped anyone; okay, maybe a few people in my youth, but he asked for it. _

"_What was that for…?"_

"_For being cocky!"_

"_Hey! I wasn't, I really do love her!"_

"_You're moving too fast in this relationship. You may marry her in 20 years… and no less!" this boy pushed all my buttons and if I hadn't left then; he would've been surrounded by pretty pink petals._

_I turned away, and continued on my path to the manor. Leaving a gapping orange haired idiot behind._

* * *

**XXX **

* * *

If Ichigo does love me, what was with that conversation?

_Oh hell,_ nothing made sense anymore.


	11. Regretted the choice to help

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 11: Regretted the choice to help**

* * *

One day; she couldn't be in a room for _one day!_ The whole Seireitei was looking for Yuki; she had disappeared out of her room to god-knows where. Ichigo almost became ballistic when Tensa ran to us, almost fainting himself, and told us his sister was gone and that he felt, for a second, her reiatsu flare and then drop; disappearing. All the squads that were not on duty were looking for her. Head Captain Yamamoto made it a big deal to all of us when he stated the fact that _our_ enemy was loose in the Seireitei and after her. Meaning her life can be in terrible danger.

I was running down the corridor on my way to the 11th Division's Barracks. In the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the 12th Division's Tower. Its height competed with the Sokyoku Hill. The dark tower was something everybody feared. Since Captain Mayuri took over, unmentionable things started happening in there; nobody wants to talk about. Even though he is an excellent scientist; he was mad. Disturbed even.

I reached the gate of the 11th Division. The guard looked at me and then shook his head in disagreement. "Sorry Lady Kuchiki, we searched the area, she is not here."

"Thank you." _Where could she have gone to?_ I quickly took a look around, just to make sure, but nothing.

That's when a hell butterfly arrived. "Rukia" Renji's voice boomed "Do you have her?"

"No, so that means you don't either, right?"

"No." he went quiet.

Then the hell butterfly floated away_. Go away, beautiful little thing… you just bring me bad news._ After another hour of searching, we all came together. Over 60% of the Seireitei had been searched and the other 30% is still being checked.

"Where the hell could she be?" Ichigo was scowling again. He walked to the nearest tree, stopped, and hit his head against it.

"Have you finally lost it, Kurosaki?" Captain Hitsugaya came from behind Ichigo, with Rangiku right behind him.

"Have you had any luck, Toshiro?" Ichigo's disrespect for the young Captain always amazed me; he was like a best friend to him, sort of.

"How many times must I tell you? It is Captain Hitsugaya! And no… I didn't find her." I didn't even know he helped us search for her.

"How is Tensa doing, Rukia?" Ichigo startled me, by asking me a question, he knew too.

"He is still resting. Just like the other 4 times you asked me. Baka."

His face deepened with a scowl, yet again. What must go through his mind now? We wanted to split up again, when Byakuya interrupted us.

"We think we found her." His voice was low and his eyes were glued to Ichigo, while Ichigo eyes widened mostly of shock, but deep worry. In innocent silence we all walked to our destination.

The 12th Division.

I felt so ashamed that I passed it and didn't think on looking there. Captain Mayuri wasn't there, which was odd, no one was there.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

My eyes jolted open, but I was instantly confused to where I was. There was no darkness obscuring my sight, but everything blurred together. I couldn't make out any shapes or objects. And it felt like I was floating. I was, but not in air, but water. My hands flew to my throat on instinct, but the feeling of drowning never came. I gather all my courage and took a deep breath and to my surprise, it felt like fresh air filled my lungs. Not water, anything but the liquid.

_How? What?_ My mind was fuzzy the last day, I think, was a total blur. I knew I found _it_ in the 12th Division's Tower and then we talked… and…

* * *

_In the darkness I felt my body move slightly. My arms were above my head; tied. Pain and discomfort was deep in my limbs. I tried to will myself awake, but my body wouldn't respond. A sudden pain filled my stomach and then my chest. It burned like hell. The feeling continued to my legs and downward. When it came to my feet it moved up again. My whole body felt of fire and filled pain With each breath pain surged through me. I tried to open my eyes again, but no luck. Then the pain stopped. The feeling numbed and so did my body. I felt like a rag doll hanging out to dry. Thoughts about my family filled my head… _was I really going to die?_ Then a strange voice interrupted my mind and a feeling of nausea filled my mouth._

"_Yuki, open your eyes."_

_For the first time I didn't want to. _It _was waiting for me and disappointing him would just give me a little satisfaction. But it kept coming._

"_Open them. I know you're awake." For a body that felt numb and dead, it suddenly felt warm again. A hand drifted across my back and continued its way to my stomach. Two words was said before a pain filled my body that would even top being in labor. "Open them."_

_My eyes and my mouth flew open. I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was stabbed by Zanpaktous, I have been pummeled by fists, I have withstood ice and flames and even the torture of babysitting my brothers, but the feeling in my torso was the most painful thing I have ever felt._

_It stood in front of me, its hand the source of my pain. His eyes have changed since the last time I saw it. It was a shade of grey and the outer rim was a deep purple. Looking into them, felt like staring directly at your worst fear, death._

_In ways he looked a little bit older, but not much, his lips were twisted into a smile._

"_Finally your eyes are open. The only to motivate a Kurosaki is by pain." He ripped his hard out of my stomach. Pain. Bloody soaked his hands. Pain. He touched my cheek with his blood soaked hands and he smiled._

_Our eyes made contact again. "Isn't that pain, the best feeling in the world. That pain, tells you that you're alive." Even through the pain, I wanted to scream and shout at him and make him wish he never done that, but my mouth disobeyed their orders._

_He walked around me. Obscuring the pain he had caused. Blood was still gushing from my newly acquired wounds and the wave of dizziness followed soon after. When he stood in front of me again, his cracked lips held a gruesome smile._

"_Spilling the blood of a Kurosaki, it the best thing to do in the morning. And in the evenings, the best thing possible is killing a Kurosaki." He turned around and walked away. Our location was dark and musty. A dim light came from above and just illuminated the area around me._

_The pain came again, crippling me more._

_For once I regretted my chosen choice of sneaking out. My mind dangled back to my family. _Was Tensa okay? Were Mom and Dad safe from this… this thing?

* * *

Although I remember the pain, I didn't feel it now. How was this possible? My eyes tried to adjust to see what was going on in front of me, but I was left blurred. A dark shadow appeared in front of me; it moved closer.

It placed a hand on what I presume was glass, and instantly the water became ice cold. I felt myself shiver.

_CRACK… crack… crack. _

The whole structure gave in and the water pulled me along with it. The water was pulled from my lungs and pain struck my whole body. I laid on the floor crippled with the pain. My eyes still wasn't adjusted, the dark figure came near me again. I couldn't make out what was going on around me. Its hand reached from me. The only energy I had left; I used to pull away, but it was useless. I felt its warm hand on my arm, I wanted to get away, but my body wouldn't let me.

"N…o" my voice crackled out. My throat throbbed and it felt like blood filled my lungs and mouth. But the figure didn't stop. Then out of nowhere it picked me up; bridal style. It didn't hurt me; but I was scared. _What was it planning for me?_ I tried to gather all my energy, but there was none. I was powerless. I felt like I was drifting into a deep slumber, but I was awake; sounds, murmurs came from the room. I desperately wanted to hear what someone was saying. I tried turning my head, but like all the other attempts of moving; it failed. I felt more hands touch me, the heat grew and so did the pain. I couldn't stop myself and I screamed. I felt someone embrace me, but my eyesight worsened and I couldn't see a thing.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The 12th Division's Tower was clammy and smelt of acid. Ichigo and I were walking down a narrow corridor alone after we all split into teams. Byakuya wasn't too happy about this arrangement, but said nothing. To tell the truth, I didn't want to go with Ichigo either, but he insisted I go with him. Now the silence was unbearable. Our footsteps were the only sounds echoing in the emptiness. Room after room we passed, and still no Yuki. We turned south and the smell of acid became stronger.

"Argh! Where is she!?" Ichigo's scowl was painted on his face and it didn't look like it was going to disappear easily. He ran his hand through his untamed orange hair and our eyes connected. "Rukia, I'm sorry." His words startled me. _What brought this on?_

"Ichigo, why?" I felt clueless and vulnerable, how could we walk together and know that there is a certain topic we must discuss? He turned away from me to and walked a few feet then turned back.

"They're not even born yet and I can't protect them" _Oh… that._ "and… and" his words got struck in his throat. "For not telling you my feelings, truthfully." His eyes grew distant and away.

"Well Baka! One, you can't protect everyone. Especially someone who is so much like you! And two. If you don't love me, then don't expect me to change your mind and three" _Three?_ "Shut up and help me find _our_ daughter"

_Did I really just say that?_ Yes, my lips just betrayed my trust. I felt so embarrassed a quickly walked passed him, making my run for it. But a strong hand grabbed me.

"Don't… don't just say that like you accept the fact that we are not meant to be." His head was down and I couldn't see his face. "Yes, she is our daughter, but why do you think I don't love you? Where did you hear that ludicrous crap!?" His grip on me tightened.

"From your mouth." I felt like I was stabbing him with a dagger as the words flew out of my mouth. His head snapped up and his eyes bore into mind, begging me to explain myself. "When you talked to Renji… you said _this_ was too fast for you and that… the two years affected how you felt." My voice didn't sound like my own.

"You dumb midget. Yes, I told him it was moving fast, but I didn't mean I didn't want it. How could I possibly not want you." He held onto me and pulled me closer into his grip. He hugged me and held me even closer. His breath was in my neck, warm and sweet.

"But… how can you all of a sudden love me, just because someone says we are in love in the future?"

"It wasn't sudden! I just now got the courage to make a move." His grip around me got tighter and my face was crushed in his perfectly sculpted stomach. "I told you, I have loved you since the day we met."

"Ichigo? I… can't…breath" What a way to ruin the mood. He quickly loosened his grip, but didn't let go.

"Ichigo! Rukia!" Byakuya's voice came from a distance. "Rukia!" We quickly jolted away from each other, when a dark figure came into view. It was Byakuya holding onto someone, who was lying limp in his arms. "She was hidden in one of the canisters. I almost didn't see her."

"Yuki" Both Ichigo and I screamed simultaneously.


	12. Turn back Flashback

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 12: Turn back… Flashback.**

* * *

"YUKI!" Tensa's voice was breaking as he was holding tears back. We all were. We had rushed Yuki to the 4th Division's Barracks, but on the way, her pulse, just stopped. My tears would've formed rivers down my cheeks, but I had to stay strong. Byakuya tried to heal her, but her body rejected it. Ice cold… not moving… dead. _My baby girl!_

Ichigo's arms hadn't let me go since… her breathing stopped. I had never seen him like this; his eyes grew so distant, it felt like he wasn't even in his body anymore. Tensa's cry of pain interrupted my thoughts; he held his sister's body tightly against him, not letting go. "It is my fault… I should have been there. I should have stopped her. YUKI… come back" his voice was shaky through the sobs and tears. I wanted to hold him and comfort him, but Ichigo's hold was too strong.

Then it hit me; my daughter that wasn't even born yet, already died, because I was too late, because I wasn't there. "I'm sorry." The tears started to cascade down my cheeks and my arms flew around Ichigo, begging for comfort and understanding. "I'm so sorry; it IS my fault… my baby girl." I felt Ichigo's hand on my hair pulling my head into his stomach. "No it's not… It is mine." His voice was low.

"Would you all just stop? It isn't anybody's fault! Yeesh!"

_What?_

"Yuki?"

Not only were my eyes deceiving me, I was going mad! Yuki sat on the window sill looking at all of us, with a grin plastered on her face. Trying to contemplate with the madness, I glanced at Tensa, still holding his sisters body, lying motionless.

Everybody responded on this. Ichigo let one arm go and took hold of Zangetsu. "Who are you!?" Was he angry or was the pain he felt making him seem desperate.

"Chill Dad… it is me. Well…" she looked at her _other_ body "Oh, this is going to be hard to explain. All you need to know now is that, you have to get me-" She pointed to her dead body "-to the World of the Living. You don't have much time. I'll go with you and explain it all." She looked him square in the eyes. Call it a mother's instinct or something unexplained, but this girl was my daughter.

"Let's go." My voice turned everyone to stare at me. And embarrassment flooded over me. Ichigo's grip disappeared around me and was replaced by his voice. "Rukia, are you sure?" I nodded.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"_Yuki?" The icy, yet warm voice crept up behind me. "Why are you out here again? Didn't your Mom tell you to get to bed? It isn't good for you to be out here with a cold." His teal__ coloured__ eyes held onto mine. _Why should I have to be in bed, if he can make me warm by just smiling_? A little cough escaped my mouth's barriers. I didn't want anybody to know that I was not feeling well, it made me feel weak. A cold hand was place on my forehead to help cool me down, but at this distance, my body reacted by just getting warmer. A cold shiver ran up my spine and tiredness tiptoed into my eyes. I wanted to give into the darkness, but I wanted to bathe in his light._

"_Toshiro… why do you care about me this much?" My question didn't faze him, like he already had to answer it. Something from the past, the past nobody wanted me and Tensa to know. _

"_Yuki." his hand cupped my face and tilted my chin up, so that our gazes can meet. He was taller than me and had the body of an angel. Everybody always said he was way shorter and always looked like a middle scholar or even younger. He didn't like that, but now he looked like a man. "I almost lost you once, not again." My 16-year-old brain couldn't comprehend this phrase. _When did I almost die?Maybe when I was a baby? No way, Mom would have told me.

"_What are you talking about?" my gaze hasn't shifted from his the entire time. I was a little dizzy, I don't know if it was because of my fever or the fact that he stood so close to me._

"_Let just say, one of your missions in the future is in the past." He saw that I was confused and not-with-him on the subject. What type of answer is that? "I don't ever want to see you hurt or sick… so." He playful yanked me up, kissed me on the cheek and kicked me to my room's direction "Go sleep and get healthy again!"_

* * *

I was drifting in a warm darkness and the feeling of cold and icy weather taunted me. My body didn't feel like my own, but an imprisonment. With each breath I tasted the previous pain that still lingered in my body. What has happened to me?

'Yuki?' a distant voice, a known voice interrupted my memories.

'Kaen no Shinzo?' Was my eyes opened or closed? Or was the darkness in my soul that blinded me from the truth. The truth that I was dead and that I would never see another colour of warm sunlight.

'Open your eyes, Yuki' the sentence sent quivers up my spine; that thing, he, also said it to me before… before the pain and confusion began. My eyes remained closed. 'Please let me see your beautiful eyes'. The voice begged me and I, slowly lifted my lids the find myself in my inner world. It was different this time. From a beach with a sunset that turned to a starry evening, it changed to a dry desert land with no plants or anything remotely living.

'What? Where?' Kaen no Shinzo's sapphire eyes looked tired and scared, just like I was.

'Your world is crumbling… we are dying, Yuki.' those word struck fear in my heart.

* * *

"_Yuki? What's wrong? Is it Tensa, again?" Her voice was sweet and kind. Her violet eyes looked into mine._

"_No mom… it's only… I feel something coming. I can't explain it." My 14 year old self replied looking worried and distant. My right hand was clutching a cup of coffee while my other hand was doodling on a piece of paper. Rukia was walking around the kitchen deciding what to make for dinner. Each night it had to be something new to keep everyone in the house happy._

"_Rukia!" the undeniable voice of my father drifted through the house._

"_In the kitchen, Strawberry!" And just like that another day in our household would begin. First my mother and father would have an argument about their nicknames for each other, Strawberry and Midget, then Tensa would stroll in casually and Hisana would soon follow with a book she was reading. It would not be awhile before the Twins, Kyou and Bryan would run in and attack Ichigo; which would begin in a big battle. We would eat and enjoy the family bicker._

_But this night was different. Tensa was locked in our room. Hisana was trying to avoid the glares from the family, because her book was missing in this picture. The twins were abnormally quiet and Dad's eyes were glued to me. Because today was the day, I told my family of Shinigami I wasn't going to the Shinigami Academy, but asked if I could go live with Grandpa in the World of the Living. Nobody was too agreeable about that, but they had let me go._

* * *

Flashes of my past keep popping in my head… Dying? This isn't real; it just couldn't be. "Please tell me, that…that I'm… we… Dead?" My voice was shaky and uncertain, but Kaen no Shinzo knew what I was trying to say, he just nodded and looked to the distance. The desert was small and with each breath I took, it was growing smaller. I didn't feel any pain; I was content, was this the way it should be? I was keeping an eye out to the dry and cracked land. No wind, no green lush bushes, no water and no sound from the sea's waves breaking. This world was truly dying.

* * *

"_Now remember, when my father is acting like an idiot, just hit him once or twice; he'll calm down. And if not-"_

"_-throw him out the window." I quickly interrupted. "I know that, stop fussing!" I was standing at the gates waiting for everyone to come and say good-bye, which was not needed. Tensa was already at the Shinigami Academy and couldn't join us, even if he wanted to. He had ignored me ever since I told them I didn't want to be a Shinigami. How could he not respect my wishes? My twin brothers quickly gave me a hug and went to stand behind my mom, whose eyes were reddish. She never really cried, but knowing that her first daughter was going away, must have made her feel sad. Hugs and kisses were exchanged and then I was set off to the World of the Living._

_14 years old; and dumb to the events that would take place._

* * *

"We need to stop this!" I just couldn't give up like this, not now, not after I went through all that. My family kept popping in and out of my mind. I needed to be strong. But it wasn't my choice; I could fight and try to get an ounce of energy. But it was left to my friends and family to bring me back.

"Kaen no Shinzo… is there a way?" he turned away from me. His sapphire eyes stared at the sky that was cracking, ready for destruction.

"Let's hope your grandfather remembers…" he trailed of as the world suddenly shook unexpectedly.

_Grandpa?_

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

She has been dead for almost 20 minutes; we were almost at the shop. Ichigo still clutched her body close to him as we ran. Byakuya and Toshiro were at our heels followed by Tensa and _Yuki_. Stepping out of the Dangai we were greeted by someone we hadn't seen in awhile.

"Dad?" Ichigo's voice was soft and delicate as his grip on Yuki's body tightened. "What ar-" he could finish his sentence, before Isshin stepped forward and took Yuki from his arms. Both Ichigo and I stared at the lunatic taking a dead body and shun-po-ing to his house. We quickly followed him on reaction. The Kurosaki Clinic was empty for a change, all the beds were dressed in white linen and all the equipment stood neatly in the corner.

"Ichigo, how long has she been out?" Isshin sounded serious for a change, his posture was strict and doctor looking. He placed Yuki on the bed and took her pulse.

"Don't worry, I'm dead. You don't need to look." The _alive _Yuki interrupted. Being so close to her dead and alive my mind was rumbling with confusion. Isshin looked at the girl standing next to Tensa and then back at the girl who he had placed on the bed.

"Dad? We need to save her." Ichigo stepped closer to the body of his first born daughter and took her hand. Isshin looked at his son grieving at this strange girl; still haven't told him about Tensa and Yuki. How he knew to come get us, only he knows.

Isshin turned around, lifted his head to the ceiling and his hands tightened into fists. He turned back and looked at Yuki standing behind me; their eyes had their own conversation. Glares passed between them and finally, with a sigh Isshin gave in.

"Ichigo, I can save her, just give me a minute or two." Ichigo's head snapped up at the words and I saw how the hope that she would live crept over his face. Even though a living Yuki stood behind us; Ichigo wanted both to live, preferably as one.

Isshin quickly returned holding a small purple bottle. He unscrewed the lid and walked past Yuki; she nodded and stepped out of the room. "Why are-" my words were interrupted when Isshin stood over a lifeless Yuki, he poured some of the liquid into her mouth. We waited and looked in anticipation, but nothing happened. _Silence._ I held my breath and hoped with everything in me…that her violet eyes would open and would say something that would make everybody gasp… something like…

"What have I missed… and who died?"


	13. Family?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 13: Family?**

* * *

Without words Tensa grabbed Yuki into his arms and didn't let go of her until she shouted that she couldn't breathe. Ichigo just had a smile plastered on his face, not saying anything, he was happy. But one thing made me uncertain, leaving them to hug and do what family loving humans do; I went searching for the _other _Yuki. But found her very quickly, she was standing in the kitchen looking out of the window. Her hand grasped the rim of the table that her knuckles whitened.

"Yuki? What is wrong?" I wanted to sound motherly, but it didn't come out the way I wanted.

"Nothing…" she continued to look outside "Uhm… Rukia" _Rukia? What happened to Mom?_ "I know who is going to kill you, I can stop it, but I will hurt you more than you can imagine." _And where on Earth did this come from._ She turned away from the window, bloodshot eyes. "I need to speak with everyone". Not knowing what to do, I only nodded and followed her back to where the laughs and happy mood came flowing from.

The next situation was kind of… awkward. Both Yukis' was staring at each other.

"What. The. Hell?" The violet eyed girl in the bed shouted, almost choking on the words.

"Dude, really? I am you." She gaped at herself, turned to Tensa, her eyes begging for answers. "Don't worry I will explain everything to you in due time, but for now, I need you all to listen."

I had a sudden nervous feeling, the feeling that actually scared the living day lights out of me.

"But… you are… me?" the newly revived girl asked "I have another twin! Yay!" This was not the time to make jokes and go about monkey business.

Everyone glared at her, her _other_ self included. "I can't believe I just said that." the girl standing in front of me whispered.

After a few moments of starring at her, she sighed and motioned me to go sit. Ichigo nodded at me and signaled that I should go sit next to him. And this freaked me out, just a little. "Now, what I'm going to tell you… will change the future." she walked across the room and slowly came to a halt at window. "This thing, wants to destroy _our_ family." she breathed in slowly as if to encourage herself "Because without us, it won't ever exist."

And yet again, I was confused.

"At the moment, in the future, where we are from; we are 7 children." Just like that both Ichigo and I choked on our breath and moved a little away from each other. "Yeah… well, we would've been 8."

"8? What happened?" Byakuya's voice didn't sound to emotionless now.

"When… mom was eight weeks pregnant…" a sign of tears in her eyes showed "… we had to abort, because the baby was killing her." Now I knew why she was crying, and for some unknown reason, my hands dropped to my stomach and a feeling of disappointment swept over me.

I was glad that I have 7 children with Ichigo, but having 8 would have been better. Knowing that I already lost one child, and might lose more, I don't know what I should do. _Fight?_

I felt Ichigo's hand on mine, silently comforting me.

"This thing…it isn't a hollow or human or Shinigami… because…" she slowly closed her eyes and inhaled "It is the fetus that was never born."

"What?" Ichigo and I whispered together, knowing that this news is the worst thing we could possibly get.

"Yeah, our brother that died, because of us… is alive and exacting his revenge." her voice held venom and deep hatred.

"That's what he meant…" the _orange-haired-just-revived_ girl said looking into her own violet orbs. "So our brother that was never born… kind of got revived… and decided to come kill us! Great! Now we have to kill our own brother!"

I wanted to question her, but Isshin cleared his throat and his eyes begged Ichigo and me to explain.

"Dad, I think you know now, Tensa and Yuki, are my and Rukia's kids from the future and now it looks like another one of our kids… is here to kill us." His voice was too serious to be Ichigo's. He stood up, leaving my hand to fend off the cold air itself, and walked to Tensa and Yuki at the bed. "It think it is time you two go back, you can't fight-" he struggled to say it "-_it_."

"Wah? What do you mean Dad?" my oldest son questioned his father's motives, but in his eyes, he told me he already knew why.

"You can't fight something… this close to you. I don't think of him as my son… so I will save our family." He flexed his right arm and took hold of Zangetsu. He then walked to the door, paused, then walked through the door into his family's living room.

"Ichigo!" I ran after him, I didn't want him doing this alone. And I will help save my family.

"No! Rukia, you are going to stay here. I can't lose you now." He was at the door ready to make a run for it, but I grabbed hold of him.

"Please… You can't do this alone, you aren't strong enough."

"She is right, Kurosaki" I jumped at Byakuya's voice behind me.

"No offense, Byakuya… but this is my family. I need to protect them. I almost lost one child today, I won't have another kill them." He looked at me "Please, stay here. And Byakuya… please protect them." Did Ichigo just say please to Byakuya? This was indeed at day of miracles.

"Kurosaki! This isn't only your family! I'm sick and tired of you thinking everything is only on your shoulders. If they are my niece and nephew, you can't stop me from fighting." With this Byakuya passed by me and looked Ichigo in the eyes. I had never seen him like this, so emotionless, yet his eyes burned with passion to protect. They nodded at each other.

"Rukia, midget… please stay here." Our eyes didn't meet, but I wanted it to. And just like that, both of them were gone.

_What could I do? _

_Nothing…_

A warm sense crept over my skin, everything is going to be okay, and I know it. _It is Ichigo we are talking about._ When I was back in the room where Yuki and Tensa were, I was confused yet again. "Where is… the _other_ Yuki?" Tensa's eyes were glued to me… "She touched-" he pointed at Yuki, that was laying in silence "-her, and… well disappeared."

"We became one again." Yuki's voice sounded so alive and that gave my heart a little bit of peace, but not enough. The sun was just starting to rise, the yellow skies cried for a beautiful day and it looked like it was going to be one.

"Anyone want breakfast, grandpa's making pancakes!' Isshin cried out in pure joy, with his silly face painted on. I nodded and walked out the door, not taking a glimpse at the two teenagers signing. On my way over to the kitchen, I had the sudden urge to go to Ichigo's room, it had been weeks since I have been there. I wasn't dusty, only smelt of soap. Yuzu must have cleaned it a bit. Plopping on the bed, my eyes drifted through the room. I had been six years since I met Ichigo, six years I only could dream about now. "Please be safe, Strawberry".

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Grandpa…" Isshin turned to me, still with a plastered smile on "Thanks". He only nodded and continued making pancakes. The smell was something I have been longing for, weeks ago when… mom made them. After her death, no one was in the mood for eating together anymore, especially Dad.

"Yuki…" Tensa's voice snapped me back to reality "Is it really him?" We both knew who he was; he was our little brother. The one mom and dad cried about; only Tensa, Hisana and I knew what was happening. My other siblings were too small then. But they knew something was wrong. Isshin walked to the table, place our plates in front of us and just smiled.

"How can he want to destroy our family… won't it kill him too?" Both Tensa and I didn't even touch our food, knowing that Dad was somewhere with uncle Byakuya, fighting our brother.

"I think… that's why he is doing it-" our eyes connected "-when he held me captive… there were no emotion… not like uncle Bya who chose to that why… but he had nothing. It was like he wanted to be dead."

"But why didn't he kill himself?"

"Because he probably has your father's pride." Isshin sat down at the end of the table, wiping his face with his hands. The smile was gone. "If he truly is a Kurosaki, he won't. Has your dad ever told you about the two years your mom wasn't here?" We shook our heads. They always avoided those questions, never telling us. "Well, your dad was in such depressing state, I wanted to kick it out of him… but no… Only Rukia could do that." Streams of fake tears rolled down his cheeks, making his way over to the giant picture of Grandma Masaki, he mumbled something of "mysondoesn'tloveme" and "hedoesnotletmeint".

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

The smell of pancakes filled the air, making me extremely hungry, but Ichigo's bed was too comfy to get out of now. I rather choose his scent that lingered on the pillow, than the smell of food that just made me angry that Ichigo wasn't here to enjoy it with.

I turned to get more comfortable, but felt something, a paper, under his pillow. I lifted the pillow to find a photo of us, probably when I came back last year. He was holding me around my waist, smiling. Where I was trying to get loose and most likely cursing at him.

* * *

"_Ichigo… Strawberry!" Everyone in the supermarket looked at me as I was yelling for Ichigo, he had disappeared and left me stranded._

"_Calm down! Midget. I'm right here!" he came walking with a trolley with Orihime just behind him._

"_Kuchiki-san!" She smiled and gave me a hug, leaving me breathless. I gave a weak smile, not saying a word. "Look! Tasuki bought me a camera!" her face gleamed with joy. _

"_That's really nice of her."_

"_Yeah." We continued to walk stopping every few seconds, so that Ichigo can throw something in the trolley. "I thought, because I'm going to Tokyo to study and I won't see any of you for a while…that I'll take pictures of you, to remember you!"_

_I started to giggle. "No… sorry Orihime. I don't do photo's" I gave my fake smile, hoping she would buy it. But no, she started to tear up._

"_Please Kuchiki-san! Just one?"_

"_Yeah, come on Rukia… give her a pretty photo, here between the cereal and coffee." Ichigo could really piss me off sometimes._

"_Please?" Orihime begged again._

"_Sorry, Orihime… It is just not me." I turned toward the racks, deciding what cereal to take… _chocolate or strawberry_. Unconsciously, I took strawberry._

"_Kuchiki-san…. PLEASE!" the tears started to roll from Orihime's eyes and everyone in the row started to stare at me again… when two arms flung around me, grabbing me by the waist._

"_Smile Rukia!' Ichigo picked me off the ground, pulling my back into his stomach._

"_No you moron!"_

_SNAP!_

"_To late now. Thanks Kurosaki-kun. I got the photo."_

* * *

That was probably the only photo of me and Ichigo _and he is keeping it under his pillow?_

I wanted to stare at it awhile longer but a reiatsu sparked above the house. I jumped out of the window on instinct. The light was growing above me, it wasn't normal, but I knew it from somewhere_; Yuki and Tensa! I was the same as when they arrived!_

"Mom! Get back inside!" Tensa yelled from the window, getting ready to jump, but he suddenly stood still… _he must know the reiatsu?_

The ball of light crashed to the street, creating a small cloud of dust. As quickly as it came… it was gone again. But in the hole in the ground… there were no one.

"MOMMY!" a small voice came from the side, hitting me and throwing me across the sky.

Glued to my side a boy, looking around 5 or 6 years old, with bright orange hair and amber brown eyes, clung to me with tears in his eyes.

Yuki and Tensa rushed over to me, both awe struck by what just happened.

"Raidon! How the hell did you get here?"


	14. Usui a real Kurosaki?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

* * *

**Chapter 14: Usui… a real Kurosaki?**

* * *

The cold night air blew passed me, we were running to the 12th Division's Tower to look if he was still there. Byakuya, who was in front of me, abruptly came to a stop. Although his face was turned away from me, I could sense he was frowning, thinking… worrying. "Boy, do you have a plan?" His cold, emotionless voice slid through the air like a knife through butter. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer him, we left the World of the Living in a daze, not know what we're actually up against.

"I'm still thinking…" My thoughts dwelled back to Rukia and the kids. _The kids_… I already feel like a father, a _proud_ father. The Seireitei was still in a state of destruction after the battle with the Arrancars. When the running started again, my mind started to dwell to the future… to Rukia. How would our lives be together? I'm almost twenty years old. I'm not even done with collage, How could I support them? All these questions haunted my mind and my dreams. When we finally arrived at the tower the sun's golden rays started to awake the Seireitei, but making me sleepy. It's been two days since I slept, first searching for Yuki, finding her dead, reviving her… and now… trying to find my… son who is trying to destroy my family.

"Kurosaki." The silence was broken by an impassive voice belonging to my Future Brother-in-Law. "I'll be fighting alone..."

"What? Byakuya, why do you think I came all this way? Too give up now and let others fight my battles?" I could feel the vain popping in my head, just waiting to explode.

"_You_ need to survive! In your current state you are useless!" his cold emotionless eyes bore in to mine, sending a cold shiver up my spine, but that wasn't going to stop. Only death can, maybe not even death. "You can't…"

"Fight? What do you want from me Byakuya? I need to protect my family!"

_I need to protect Rukia. _

"You can't die-" the emotion on his face and voice overwhelmed me, was this really Byakuya Kuchiki speaking to me, or an alien for the future or the past even. "-they need you to stay alive, to survive this; _Rukia_ needs you." I jerked at her name, knowing full well that Rukia was Byakuya's pride. That he won't just leave her in anyone's hands, especially after the execution incident.

"Byakuya?"

"Listen to me clearly, Boy. Our world is depending on your survival. That is why you can't risk your life like this, you should be thinking of Rukia." He resisted saying it, but he did. Was he giving me permission to love her? Or was he just trying to get me out of the way so he can claim the glory.

"Byakuya, please let me fight?" For one second I thought he would say yes, but he just turned around and walked away only saying two words.

"Stay away."

"How can he stay away when he is already here?" A dark figure came from the shadows, it look frail and thin, but had enough power in those limbs to do some serious damage. "Oh, you look so scared, Dad." The venom in its voice spread through the air, stinging me. As he made his way to me, the morning rays hit his face. _My_ trademarked orange hair sat on his head, making its way down to his waist, his facial features looked similar to Tensa's and his eyes… violet.

"You are not my son."

"Don't be a fool! Yuki couldn't defeat me, what makes you think you can?" Just the mention of Yuki made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"You'll pay for what you did to Yuki. If you were really her brother, you would've protected her, loved her!"

"Yeah! Like you did with me! I was thrown away! Killed! My life was taken away, by you!" The bitterness in his voice grew and the way his eyes held emotion, rendered my voice speechless. "See, you know it is your fault. So let me do you a favor, I'll kill you now. And none of this will ever happen!"

"Don't be so cocky, boy!" Byakuya took a step forward from the distance and drew Senbonsakura. The attack was swift. But Byakuya went flying in the other direction.

"Oh, Uncle… you are no match!" I drew Zangetsu; ready to attack my own son.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

_The day was bright and sunny… everything seemed perfect. Waking up with the birds singing and the blossoms smiling at me, how could it be different. So my morning routine of a 15-year-old girl followed, getting up with a struggle, trying to tame my hair and getting dressed. I was just putting toothpaste on my lime green toothbrush when a high pitched scream interrupted me, making me drop the toothpaste on the floor. I can't be back for one week and something MUST happen. Quickly making my way to the location of the disturbance a cold feeling washed over me. _

"_Yuki! YUKI!" The screaming increased and I could hear that my younger brother, Raidon, was going mad, crazy. Down the hall, through the lounge and into the kitchen, was where my whole world just, stopped. On the black slate tiles, my mom was lying unconscious; blood surrounding her. _

"_MOM!" My body reacted without me giving it my approval, her eyes were closed, and her whole expression was clouded by pain._

"Yuki… wake up…. Yuki… hey"

_Her body was gripped in the torture of pain and agony. How could I help her?_

"HEY! Wake Up!"

_My own hands started to shake, but someone… someone needs to help her. I made sure I sent out enough of a distress signal with my reiatsu so that someone, anyone, would come help us._

"YUKI! Honey… it just a dream"

_Only moment later, halve of the 6__th__ Division was there and the cold, shivering body was taken to the 4__th__ Division's Barracks._

_Seconds, minutes, hours it ticked by, making the wait unbearable. It was 15 hours 28 minutes and 12 seconds later when a 34-year-old, orange-haired man came into the room… his eyes cold and distant…_

"_Daddy? What has happened to mommy?" My 3-year-old brother, Raidon asked. How could he comprehend what was going on here._

"Wake up… dammit!"

"_Kids…" 6 pairs of eyes were glued to him "Your mother and I wanted to tell you, sooner. She was going to have a baby." I could hear how everyone was starting to get excited, but why was my Dad on the brink of tears? "But" _No!_ "The baby was not – _good - for_ your mother… and… we had… to"_

"_Don't say it Dad." Tensa gripped onto my shoulder, he knew if Ichigo said it… then the reality of the situation would set in._

"YUKI KUROSAKI! YOU WILL WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!" my eyes swung open to reveal Tensa hovering over me, anger in his eyes.

"Dude! Really?"

"YES!" he sat down on the bed, moving my legs. "You were doing that… thing again" _Thing…_ My eyes puzzled him. "You know… having a nightmare, shivering, crying, and talking. Well more of just blubbering, I can't make out a word you are saying…"

"Oh… that… _Thing_?"

"Dad… isn't back yet… and mom won't come out of his room… and Raidon." He stopped, pointed to the edge of the bed, were a small 6-year-old boy was curled up in a bundle.

"Tensa, how did he get here? Do you thing Dad sent him?" answering my own question, I reached the glass of water on the cupboard "Dad won't do that, not Raidon, maybe Hisana… not even." I went on blabbering about my whole family and didn't notice Tensa's eyes going distant. "Dude!" His eyes yanked back to the here and now, but his mind was still stuck. "What are you think about?"

"Usui." The name we never mentioned, the name that made our family bleed for days on end. "It can't be him, trying to kill us."

"It's not. Usui died the day Mom had the abortion, this _thing_ that is here to kill us… that is not our little brother." Weeks after our family got over the death of the unborn Kurosaki, our mom told us that his name would have been Usui; she said it with tears in her eyes and her hand clutching her stomach.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

_Yuki, Tensa, Hisana, Kyou, Bryan, Raidon, Masaki…_ how many more. Ichigo and I have just had our first kiss that is all. Now I already know I have 7 children… 7! In 16 years! I wanted to faint at the pain, but cry for the pleasure. Just thinking about the future - with a certain Strawberry - I could feel my whole body warming to the idea, wanting something my mind couldn't comprehend.

Was I really in love with that idiot of a strawberry?

_I think I am…_ _No I know I am._ The feeling that has occupied my heart since the day he came for me, that day I found out he came to save me, from my death; it must be love. I always had a jealous side, when other girls are talking about him, mostly Rangiku, but when I just look at him, scowl and all… I felt at peace, knowing I am safe.

I was still lying on his bed, gripping the photo of us tightly to my chest, after the … _attack-from-my-future-son…_ I told them I wanted to be left alone. Raidon's eyes were so eager when he first saw me, but I think as soon as her realized I'm not his mother yet. He backed away, giving me my space.

My nostrils were engulfed by Ichigo's scent that still lingered on his pillow. It made me think of him even more, hating him even more for going, but loving him even more for protecting us; his future family. I glanced at the photo just one more time, then placed my head back into a comfortable position, just right to fall to a deep sleep, with a dream I hoped that a certain Strawberry would invade.

A small, almost inaudible, knock echoed from the door. "Rukia, are you awake?" Isshin's _non-crazy_ voice followed.

"Y-es"

He came in, with his head low. "I have something to tell you, I regret doing it, but it was the only way…"

"Isshin?" He scared me. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, when the cold floor met my warm feet, a little shiver crawled up my spine.

"I used Jinsei on Yuki. Something… I never wanted someone to experience." His hand wiped his face, revealing a face… so 'scarred' and 'bruised' it surprised me. It reminded me so much of Ichigo's little mannerism.

"Jinsei? What is that?" His weary eyes grew.

"Rukia, didn't Byakuya tell you about it? All Noble families know about it and the risk; the destruction."

"No, what do you mean, Isshin?"

"You must know, it was the only way of saving her…"

"Isshin… What did you give my daughter?"

"I… I… am so sorry"

"Isshin?" The anger just grew and grew.

"It was created by the first Head Captain, the one before Yamamoto, Kuribo Kurosaki…"

"Kurosaki?"

"He was my Grandfather, he died about 600 years ago. The bastard lived to a 1592…" He wiped his face again, finally resting his hand on the back of his neck. "He only made a few bottles and he only gave it to the Noble clans, but there was a flaw with it… something… nobody would ever want to think of and that's way, I never gave it to Masaki when she died."

"Isshin… please tell me… what is going to happen to Yuki?"

"Round about two years after the person is revived by Jinsei, they would suddenly have a fit of extreme pain, so unbearable, like a thousand Zanpaktous gripping your heart and tearing it apart and finally they would…die."

"Die?" The word struck something within me, the tears taunted my eyes and cheeks. "I… I just can't lose her. Isshin, we need to stop it, somehow!" I would've continued begging him, when all three my children's reiatsu's dropped dramatically.

Running as fast as my feet could carry me, I found a sight, which was truly terrifying, in the kitchen stood Tensa, Yuki and Raidon - all of them - starting to disappear.

"Mom." Yuki's voice was faint "…Dad's dying…" and with those last words, all three of them… disappeared.

* * *

_**Need to know information about Kurosaki-children:**_

**Yuki and Tensa (18) : Twins**

**Hisana (15)**

**Bryan and Kyou (12): Twins**

**Raidon (6)**

**Usui (3) – If he would've been born.**

**Masaki (1)**


	15. Wake up, you Idiot!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

* * *

**Chapter 15 : Wake up, you Idiot!**

* * *

"_Mom." Yuki's voice was faint "…Dad's dying…" and with those last words, all three of them… disappeared._

* * *

The fear, the pain, the panic; it all came at once. The floor had fallen beneath me, tears were rolling down my cheeks and my body was shaking, but I couldn't stop it, not that I wanted to… Ichigo … "ICHIGO!" My throat became dry, my breath was out. I yanked out Sode no Shirayuki and opened a Senkaimon right there in Ichigo's kitchen, not wanting to lose time. I was running so fast that everything blurred together. When I stepped out of the Dangai Precipice world, I met with destruction, a huge battle was just fought and the whole Seireitei was dragged into it, buildings were crumbling. Ash and dust filled the air and fires sprung to life everywhere the eye met the ground or buildings. I couldn't sense Ichigo, only my brother's reiatsu. So I followed it.

All the buildings were turned into rumble and my breath got caught in the smoke from the fires. When I finally made it to where Byakuya was, I met a sight, that took my breath away, but also terrified me. Byakuya, as bloody as he was, was kneeling over Ichigo and healing him. "Nii-sama! Ichigo!" I pushed through the rumble, cutting my leg open on a piece of wire. The physical pain was nothing to the pain I would experience if I lose Ichigo. "Nii-sama!" his eyes met mine, and all I could see was the pain he was in. He turned back to Ichigo and continued to heal him, not saying a word to me. When my eyes met Ichigo's body, my heart sank.

Torn and bloody, half of his Hollow mask was still on his face. Blood was everywhere. It looked like his arm was broken. When he coughed, blood escaped from his mouth.

"Ichigo!" I kneeled on the other side of him and started healing him too. That's when I caught sight of Byakuya's injuries, he looked almost worse than Ichigo. A whole piece of his lower body was missing and he was bleeding badly. "Nii-sama! Stop! Someone help!" I don't know when I started to cry again, but my eyes were so blurred I couldn't see Ichigo anymore. Byakuya didn't back off, he just continued to heal Ichigo.

"Ichigo, don't die on me, please?" He had no more reiatsy and his breathing was too slow. He was dying.

"Rukia!" Renji came running from afar, with what looked like the whole 4th Division's squad. When they arrived 8 of them immediately started working on Byakuya and the rest on Ichigo. I wanted to stay by his side, but Renji pulled me away. He held on to me so tight I couldn't get loose.

"Renji let go! Let me go! Ichigo!" he pulled away and I screamed at him, but he didn't let me go.

"Rukia, stop, they've got him… just stop… calm down." That is when I fell to the floor my legs and body didn't want to work anymore.

"Okay, let's get them to the Barracks." Unohana shouted the order to her squad and just like that they were gone with two badly injured men.

"Rukia, you need to calm down." The more he said it, the more tears rushed down my cheeks.

* * *

_He got up when his dad attacked him_, again._ He went to school, he stared out the window for 5 periods, he had macaroni and cheese for lunch, he returned home, did his homework at his desk and went to bed. That was how Ichigo's life looked each day I wasn't there. And I knew it. I saw it with my very own eyes._

_I was on duty in Kurakara Town for the last week and each day I would just look at him, just to make sure he is safe. I debated with myself if I should say _hi_, or just visit him, but I didn't know how it would affect him._

_But this night, everything was just ten times sadder. Exactly 3 years ago, this was the night we met and our journey began._

_I was standing on the lamppost outside his window, not wanting to look in, or else I would not stop myself from going to him. _

"_3 damn years!" I heard him curse and I turned to his room's window. He was sitting on the roof just looking at the stars. "Midget, can't you even come say _Hi_? Or do you hate me this much"_

I don't hate you, you baka. _My mind yelled, but my lips wouldn't move. I stepped forward, my legs wouldn't listen to my commands. I was standing just behind him, barely a meter. That's when my phone beeped, telling me a hollow was near. For a second it looked like Ichigo heard it, but he couldn't._

_I yanked out my phone to see where the hollow was, but I struggled to breath; it was just around the corner. Too close to Ichigo. I set of in a sprint to its location. The giant monster was making his way down the street. It had tentacles, something that always disgusted me, and frightened me._

"_Oh, a Shinigami! What a treat!" Its voice disgusted me even further. _

"_Die." I pulled Sode no Shirayuki from my hip and started to attack, but this thing was fast, faster than any other normal hollow. I jumped back and the battle continued, when I finally delivered the final blow and his mask cracked, making him howl in pain. Then I noticed where we were, just in front of the _Kurosaki Clinic.

Shit.

_I wanted to run, but my body was dead tired and a wound to my lower body made it difficult to move without pain._

"_Rukia?" his voice, saying my name and right on cue my body gave in._

_What felt like hours later, I woke up, in Ichigo's room, in his bed almost bandage for head to toe. _

"_Midget must I always save your life…" our eyes connected._

* * *

He always saved my life and I couldn't save him once when he really needed me. Renji and I made our way to the 4th Division's Barracks after I had, relatively, calmed down. I still wanted to cry, but I held my tears back. When we arrived the whole place was buzzing. Trying to get a squad member to tell us what was going on, was nearly impossible. I finally gave up trying to ask and went to sit next to Renji on one of the waiting room's couches. I just sat there, staring at the white walls for hours or days; I don't know, I lost count.

"Rukia?" Unohana's voice woke me out of my staring. She looked dead tired, but she had a smile on her face. "Your brother is stable and doing fine. He just needs rest and Ichigo." She paused and sat next to me, placed her hand on my shoulder "He was in a really bad condition." Her smile slowly faded and it scared me "… I am trying my best. I'm sorry Rukia. He is showing signs that indicates he will go intoa coma and, if it was anybody else, I would've doubted they would see tomorrow." I didn't try to stop them anymore, tears flowed from eyes and my breath became short. "You can go see him if you want." She showed me to a room where Ichigo was lying. He was in a very bad condition. Pipes where everywhere and the respirator kept him alive and breathing.

"Ichigo." My voice was broken "Please don't die." I sat beside him on the chair. When I touched his hand, I could feel his body turning colder. I didn't want him to die. "Ichigo, you baka. You are not dying, you hear me? You're not leaving me alone in this world." He didn't move, nothing at all. If only Tensa were here to heal him, if only I were stronger.

"I need you too much to see you die, so don't leave me." After a while of crying and pleading with him to stay with me. my body gave into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

The next day.

Ichigo was still alive.

A week later.

He was still in a coma and his condition began to get worse. His lungs were collapsing and his heart didn't beat in sync anymore.

After three more days, Unohana told me to hope… hope with all my heart a miracle would come from her treatment and that Ichigo would start fight like he never fought before,

"Ichigo." I didn't cry anymore. 11 days of crying was enough. "Unohana told me, in not so much words, to say goodbye, but I'm not going to. Because you are going to make it. You hear me you big strawberry!" he didn't move. His face became paler and paler. Deep down I could feel it was his end, but I wasn't giving up.

"You are not going to die! You have to protect me, our family! Think about them… Yuki, Tensa, Hisana, Kyou, Bryan, Raidon and little Masaki. We haven't met them yet, but you need to survive." One tear rolled down my cheek. "What about Yuzu and Karin? How will I tell them I couldn't protect their big brother?" The twins now knew about Shinigami, but they didn't know all the dangers Ichigo had faced. "Orihime, Uryu and Chad, Ichigo… please we all need you." Tears came in rivers and didn't stop when I commanded them to.

"I need you." All that could be heard was the beeping of the heart machine. "I… I love you, Ichigo."

I hoped that if I said it, a miracle would happen like in the movies Ichigo made me watch in the World of the Livng, but… nothing.

"Rukia. Dear?" Unohana came into the room and placed her hand on my shoulder again. "The treatment I gave been giving him, isn't working. I can start with another treatment, but I'm not 100% sure if it wouldwork." I didn't turn to her, just kept my eyes on Ichigo.

"D-do it, just save him. Please!" I could feel her nod. An hour later Ichigo was prep for, yet another surgery and ready to receive his miracle, I hoped.

I stayed with him, 'till he was in the very bland operating room and I stayed at that door until a small brown haired girl told me to go take a seat.

_One hour._

The Operation light was still on, no one came out. The same small brown haired girl brought me coffee, she sat beside me and held my hand. I didn't know who she was and made no attempt to find out, but her just being there helped.

_Two hours_.

No news. I hadn't drunk my coffee and the cold liquid was still in my hands. The girl disappeared for a moment and came back with a sandwich, which I couldn't eat. I won't eat until I know he is going to make it.

_Three hours._

Renji came by, he just told me that Byakuya is doing fine and would go home in the morning. I didn't want to be mean, but he didn't help.

_Four hours._

The girl still sat beside me, every few minutes she would ask if I wanted anything, but I would just shake my head. I knew she cared about me, but I didn't know why.

_Five hours._

Momo sat by my side for a few minutes, not saying anything, she just sat there and waited for me to talk. It didn't happen. She left saying she would be back in a few hours.

_Six hours._

The O.R. doors flung open, two or maybe three rushed out in a daze. Something went wrong. I could hear Unohana ordering everyone. I didn't want to cry and I couldn't. I needed to be strong for Ichigo. If I could do anything, it would be just to believe Ichigo would make it.

_Seven hours._

The girl disappeared again and because of that, I nervously started to pace up and down the hall. Almost 40 minutes later she came back, she didn't say a word. I sat down again, in my mind I begged, I hoped and I wished that Unohana would come out and tell me the operation was a success, but nothing.

_Eight hours 46 minutes and 14 seconds._

Unohana came out, a huge smile on her face, she didn't need to say anything, because I knew, Ichigo made it.

I turned to the girl who also had a gigantic smile on her face, that reminded me of Ichigo's smile, which I rarely see.

"Who are you?" The first thing I said to her. She stood up, looked at the door and looked back.

"My name is Hisana, Hisana Kurosaki." She turned to the door and walked away.

"Thank you!" I shouted, my heart shouted. I knew everything would be okay.


	16. Even with injuries

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach._

* * *

**Chapter 16: Even with injuries…**

* * *

I was standing in the doorway and beholding a sight I would rather not want to see. "What are you doing?" He jumped at my voice and in the process he felt the injury still looming over his body.

"Rukia… ere… I just…" All bandaged up and still half way dead, Ichigo was standing and getting dressed in his Shinigami robes.

"Get into that bed! Baka!" I didn't want to be mean or anything, but the last few days, he had awakened from his coma and started recovering from an operation that almost didn't save him. How could he even move? _Oh, wait…He is Ichigo!_

His amber brown eyes still looked tired and confused as he sat down on the soft bed. Those were the eyes I fell in love with.

"Rukia… I need-"

"Need to what? To get yourself killed?" My voice was full of pain, I couldn't hide it anymore. I was too afraid to lose him. How many sleepless nights have I had thanks to this strawberry, that can't even sit still for one week?

"Usui, it… the entity…it's not dead…" His breathing wasn't normal, rigid and torn.

"It has been weeks since something happened… Usui is gone." When our eyes connected he immediately looked away, sending a sharp pain through my body. He's whole being looked far away from me; he felt far away, it wasn't the Ichigo I met so long ago. But I did fail to notice his hands were clenched in fists.

"Rukia… Yuki and Tensa?" a question I couldn't answer, a question that even made me bleed. After their disappearance Yuki and Tense even Raidon hasn't returned. I didn't tell Ichigo about Hisana, because I feared it was only my imagination.

There were hollow footsteps outside the door, a maid dressed in a blue kimono entered. "Ms. Kuchiki can I get you anything?" I shook my head and she disappeared again leaving the room silent. I had dragged Ichigo to the Kuchiki Manor to recover, because a feeling had entered my soul that feared he would do something, something stupid. And I wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

"Tell me one thing, Midget" he slowly rose from his bed, keeping he head low "Aren't you mad?" The question caught me off guard and I wasn't sure what the answer was.

"At you? Yes." His head ripped up so that I could see his face. He reminded me so much of Kaien and the look he was giving me now, was just like that last second Kaien was alive. "You almost got yourself killed, do you know how it felt? I had no idea if you were going to make it." I didn't sound angry, only sad, honestly, at the brink of tears. "I almost lost _you, _the only thing; I can't bear to lose…anyone but you, Ichigo." Clenched fists, shacking vigorously beside me pulled my tears from my eyes. He said nothing, the silence in the room was so full of sorrow that I felt like I was choking.

Gently fingers wiped the tears from my cheeks and cupped my face. He pulled me in his arms and didn't say anything, he just kept me there. Safe from the outside world. "I'm sorry. It's my fault Tensa and Yu-"

"If you think it is your fault they're gone, I will kick your butt so badly you won't walk for a week." I whispered into his bandaged stomach so close to my face.

"But-"

"But nothing!" I yanked myself away from his embrace, so that our eyes were glued to one another. He wanted to look away, but I cupped his face with my hands, demanding his eyes to look at me. "I can't lose you." I whispered, barely audible.

"You won't. I love you too much to leave you" It didn't surprise me that he felt this way, the only thing that took my breath away, is when I said it.

"I love you, Ichigo." Our lips met each other half way and the warmth or his mouth reassured me he was alive - and better yet - _mine_.

The kiss deepened and started to fill with more passion with each passing second. His tongue begged my lips to part and I happily obeyed. My hands were grabbing on to his orange hair, pulling him closer to me. For a brief moment our mouths parted to take a few rigid breaths. His hands danced around my waist and pulled me closer to him. My whole body became heated at as the kiss grew bolder and more daring. He broke the kiss, and left me dazed for not even a second before he, with his damaged body, heaved me from the ground into his arms.

The bed was a few steps behind us and he placed me as gently as he could on the soft mattress. Amber and violet was dancing in their own world as we stared at each other. A strong hand wiped my hair from my face to make a path to my mouth. Kisses trailed down my jaw line to my neck, I couldn't stop myself; a giggle escaped my lips.

"What's so funny?" He jerked away from my collarbone and stared into my eyes.

"It tickles okay?" That's when he got this look in his eyes, like a little kid.

"Who knew, Rukia Kuchiki was ticklish?" His grin made me scared and even more _heated _than before. He attacked my neck and kissed every part, I tried not to giggle, but it failed each time Ichigo would just bite the top of my skin. His path of kisses led down my chest, I pulled him away and kissed him roughly on the mouth. His hand gripped my leg under the red kimono I was wearing. Up and up the hand went, and with each inch I wanted him more and more. He suddenly groaned in pain and I ripped away from our kiss.

"Shit, your injuries." In the heat, the kissing and touching, I forgot he was still an injured man.

"It's nothing. You are just one feisty Midget."

"Let's not do this now, you're still hurt and-" Finishing my sentence was going to be hard, because Ichigo knew what I was going to say and he hastily kissed me.

Astonished, that was what I was when I, unconsciously, moaned his name in his mouth. The smile I felt on his lips grew as he kept kissing me, taking complete control over me. Again he tore away from me, as he looked me in the eye; he looked sober, not even drunken like me by this heat between us.

"What?" _Why do I feel so disappointed? _My breath was gone, but I didn't care.

"Rukia? How the hell do I get this kimono off you?" the pathetic face he made, made me even love him more. After her practically ripped the cloth off my body, his kisses travelled my body even more.

Cupping one of breasts in one hand and slowly sucking and kissing the other, made me moan. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him with more vigour than ever before. My hands were getting desperate to get him out of his clothes, I wanted to touch him, feel him and kiss him over every inch of his body. "Clothes… off… NOW!" I panted and moaned. Without breaking our kiss, Ichigo slipped out of his clothes. Disappointment came when my hands started to roam his body. Most of his godly glory was covered in bandages. But it didn't matter. He was alive and he was mine.

With out words, only a silent kiss, Ichigo sunk into me. "God, Rukia." He grunted as he waited for me to adjust to his size, which took a while.

He started moving, slow at first, but as both our needs became too much, he started thrusting faster. Not letting him do all the work, I lifted my hips to meet him half way. The pleasure was… indescribable, unmentionable and all mine. Ichigo kissed me enthusiastically on the mouth as both of us came close to our peaks. I moaned, even whimpered with please, until I screamed his name as I reached my climax. This was soon followed by his own.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Again!" My throat was numb and I was desperate for air.

"Again? We have been doing this for hours." His eyes has looked worse, so I decided we could go on, but no, his body was aching. It wasn't like mine wasn't aching. "Yuki, we can't keep training like this, we'll kill ourselves."

"Shut up Tensa. Usui, it, is still out there and Dad is nowhere near ready."

"She's right, Tensa." Hisana came up from behind me, and almost scared me to death.

"Don't do that, Hisana! Yeesh, you're just like Uncle Bya-"

"Don't agree with her Hisana. Look at her, she almost at her end." Tensa interrupted my analyses of our sister and pointed out the fact that I looked horribly tired and soaked in sweat.

"Tensa. I need to train, with or without you."

"I'll train with you!" Raidon was jumping up and down with glee. I shook my head, knowing he couldn't hurt a fly.

"Let's just take a break and eat something." Tensa looked at me, trying to get me to calm down. Ever since we _disappeared _and returned only a few days ago, Tensa and I were training. I didn't want _it _to destroy my family… not them.

Reluctantly I said yes.

The cave under Sokyoku hill was now filled with dust as Tensa and I had thrown attacks at each other and Raidon couldn't help but sneeze every two seconds. "Yuki, when can I go outside?" His amber eyes looked tired and cranky.

"I don't know. We must wait here until _it _comes out of hiding…"

"What's_ it_?" Mentally I slapped myself, I forgot we hadn't told him about… Usui.

"Our… enemy." Hisana looked at me, judging if I had made the right choice telling him why we were here.

"Oh?" Fortunately he was too small to know about these stuff, so he flashed me a smile and hopped to the table were food were stacked.

Four of us were here; three still in the future. My gut wasn't too comfortable with this. I never wanted our family to be separate in this time of war; especially after the incident with… Mom. As we were snacking on our carrots and cucumber slices, Hisana brought up a surprising subject. "Tensa, Yuki." We looked up at her in sequence.

"Yeah?"

"You know, today is the 19 August?"

"Yeah so?" I took a sip of the hot coffee and immediately felt revived.

"Exactly 9 months before your birthday."

Spitting out the coffee to prevent choking, I soaked Hisana with the liquid I deem holy…

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

Our clothes were everywhere the eye could see, as for us; we were wrapped in the warmth of our cream coloured quilt and in each other's arms. I traced Ichigo's face with my finger as he slept; he looked peaceful. The scowl wasn't there, it was replaced with a satisfying smile. _I should take a photo of him… just for a keepsake._

"Are you staring at me, Midget?" his eyes were still closed, but he was wide awake. As a response I only pulled myself up and kissed him on the lips. When I pulled away I met with his amber eyes and gorgeous smile.

"Morning Strawberry." I pulled myself closer taking in his scent that sent shivers up my spine.

"Morning Midget, I can get use to this." He smiled and kissed me on the forehead, both cheeks and finally my mouth.

"Well, not today." I let go of him and stretched my arms.

"Why not? I can lay here all day with you." He plumped his pillow and laid his head down, closing his eyes again.

"Well, not with my brother only on the other side of the house." on queue his eyes was open and he jumped out of the bed, letting the quilt fall to the floor. He yanked the door opened and examined the hall, but no one was there. I grabbed a pillow to cover my exposed body while Ichigo was playing watchtower. "Baka, get inside."

As he closed the door, he gave me a puzzling look.

I sighed. "You can go outside, if you're not completely butt naked." The only sort of clothing he had on was the bandages around his stomach, left arm and right thigh.

With lighting speed he grabbed the quilt and leaped on the bed. From underneath he mumbled a phrase I couldn't understand. I grabbed the quilt and threw it open to reveal a blood red Ichigo. I couldn't help but laugh.

"You could've warned me earlier."

"About my brother or you being naked?"

"… both…"

He looked so cute as he was laying on the mattress looking all embarrassed about his actions, I couldn't help but lean down and kiss him. For what felt like hours we looked at each other, just looked. I broke our gaze and tried to find my Kimono on the floor, but I wasn't there…

"Ichigo, did you see my kimono?" He rolled his eyes and pointed to the desk in the far corner were a red kimono was lying in a bundle. "Oh, whoops." As I got dressed he never took his eyes of me, which was kind of a turn on. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing… I just can't believe I had sex with a midget." He may be known as the greatest Shinigami ever, but he wasn't fast enough to duck for the book I threw at him… "Ouch!"

"Baka." He was smirking at me, actually smirking.

"Why don't you come here, let me practice to get you out of that kimono?" He was defiantly a sly cat when he was like… _this. All hot and perverted. _I couldn't help but give in.

Step by step I walked closer to the handsome orange haired Shinigami that I loved.

"Rukia."

I kissed him.

"I haven't decided if you are good or bad for me."

He pulled my body close to his, "Definitely good!"


	17. The Final Battle

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 17: The final battle.**

* * *

The warning alarm was sounded right around 2 o'clock in the morning. I woke with a fright, but Ichigo, who forgot I was beside him, leaped from the bed and in the process hit me with his arm.

"You Baka! Can't you be careful?" My nose was hurting a little, but nothing I have never felt before. Ichigo stood by the door with his back turned away from me as I sat up right in our bed. Every muscle in his body seemed tensed. "Ichigo" He didn't escape from his trance when I called his name. I walked over to him and tried once again. "Ichigo?" still he stood still.

He suddenly banged his head against the door, which should have hurt, but he just ignored it. "_It_ is back." His voice was low; you could bearably call it a whisper.

"Ichigo? What do you mean?" If he was talking about what I think he was talking about, I knew exactly what he was going to do now.

"_It_… I thought he was gone-" He turned to me and his eyes were gripped with rage "-I hoped it would back off, or something."

"Ichigo, If Yuki was right." I hesitated because my mouth didn't know how to utter the words my mind was screaming "_It_ won't go away if both of us are alive, because… he is… is our son." He didn't want to hear those words. He already knew what he was; it was Usui. My heart felt like it was bleeding, torn between everything I am and everything I'm going to be.

"I know, Rukia**, **but it doesn't make it easier." Out of the blue Ichigo's eyes lit up "Wait! If he is still alive, it must mean, Tensa and Yuki are alive." He looked happy, but his usual scowl was still planted on his face.

"Then where are they? I don't sense them, or Raidon." The alarm still sounded in the background, but Ichigo and I didn't make a move to join the other squads.

"Rukia, stay here, I'm going to join them outside." He was dead set on going to fight, but I couldn't let him. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down to my length.

"You aren't going out that door; three weeks." I pushed three of my fingers into his face to make my point. "You have been in recovery for three weeks. You are nowhere near ready to take on him again."

"This is the longest I spent in recovery… ever-"

"This time Orihime wasn't here to heal you, okay!" His wounds was grave, when he was hospitalized, I wanted to go get Orihime so she can heal him, to make sure he _would_ survive. But thanks to our son, the Senkaimon was locked to prevent him from escaping us.

"I'm ready. This is the only way I can save you, so don't be this stubborn Midget." He tilted my chin up and gave me a quick peck on the lips, grabbed his robes; then he left. Leaving me alone and afraid. I didn't even notice I was pacing up and down the room until a young maid came in and told me Captain Ukitake wanted to see me.

* * *

My captain was sitting on his bed, dressed in white, looking terrible. "Captain wanted to see me?" He nodded, letting a strand of white hair fall from its position behind his ear.

"Yes, Rukia. We have a situation on our hands. The Seireitei is not ready for this battle and there is a Captains' meeting in 15 minutes, I won't be able to make it, so I'm sending you." He was dead serious.

"W-what?" _What a way to respond!_

"Why so surprised? You are one of the best in my squad. I need you to be there." I gulped.

"I'll go. Thank you, Captain." At that Captain Ukitake gave a small giggled that led to a cough. I bowed and started to run to the First Division's Barracks to attend the Captain's meeting.

This was the oddest sensation I ever felt when I walked in, none of the other Captains looked my way, not even Byakuya. The Head Captain's voice boomed through the hall when he called for order. Everyone stood in their place, waiting for their orders.

"We have confirmation that this is the _Entity_ that is wreaking havoc in the Seireitei." _Ichigo was right._ "All able Shinigami should be assigned to fight this enemy. If we were to fall now, the way of Shinigami will end."

"How are we going to stop it? Not even Kurosaki can defeat it." Captain Hitsugaya cocked an eyebrow when I flinched at Ichigo's name. "We need a plan, or some miracle that can help us." And yet again I agreed with Toshiro, deep down I wished Yuki and Tensa would burst through the doors, with cocky smiles and say they were going to kill him, but the doors stayed shut.

"Maybe we should get the Vizard's to help us in our need." Captain Unohana's voice was gentle even in these troubled times.

"We can't. They are in the World of the Living and the Senkaimon has been sealed for the last three weeks." As Captain Kyoraku reminded us, he looked me in the eye, and then turned to the Head Captain. "What about the Kurosaki Twins?". The Head Captain raised his eyebrow and everybody turned to me. This was probably a good time from me to speak.

"Captains. I'm sorry to inform you, but Yuki and Tensa, they haven't returned." My voice was stronger than I imagined it would be. "When Ichigo was injured, they disappeared, and they haven't returned. I doubt-" H_ow to phrase this?_ "-that they will _exist_ again."

The Captains looked troubled by the news, but in their heads plans were brewing. "What if I unleash a plague throughout the Seireitei" Captain Mayuri's idea was not the best, but secretly, it could work.

"That would have negative effects on our own Shinigami, we can't put their lives in danger."

"We can all just fight…"

"… and get killed? Who would run the Seireitei?"

"That's the only option"

"We may have others, but not the time"

"I think we should open the Senkaimon…"

"… and risk the Entity escaping?"

The Captains continued to bicker and argue. My head started to throb.

"Silence!" the room went quiet. "It is of no use if we argue amongst ourselves. We need a solution, now."

"Sir, I just received word Menos Grande have entered the Soul Society." Soi Fon ripped of her Haori "I'll go deal with them." And with that she disappeared from our sight.

"Captain Kuchiki, take your men and get ready to attack, but don't kill _it_, wound it. Captain Unohana, make sure there is enough medical personnel on duty. Squad 8 and 13 surround the areas where the _Entity _is. Captain Zaraki, get your best men to fight after the 6th Squad is done. The rest of the squads stand on guard and take care of the hollows. Dismissed!" We quickly dispersed, but Captain Kyoraku grabbed me by the arm.

"Rukia, get all your men and meet me at the Squad 5 barracks, the _Entity_ was last seen there. Nanao will go with you."

We made our way to the 13th divisions barrack's to wake up all the members of my squad, those who was not awakened by the alarm. Then I realized, there was no attacks brewing somewhere and it was dead quiet now. The alarm wasn't ringing anymore, people weren't shouting. "Nanao, why is it so silent?" But no answer came from her, for she wasn't there. "Nanao?" Nothing. I turned around scanning the area, but she wasn't there. _Maybe she was just going to squad 8, without telling me?_

It didn't matter I could do this alone. I continued to run to my Barracks, but dark figure stopped me. He had long dark orange hair, much darker than Yuki's and his eyes reminded me of when Ichigo donned his mask, except his pupils were a blue-ish hue.

_Usui!_

"Hello, mother." He looked almost exactly like Ichigo, maybe a little shorter. Plus he wore a Shinigami robe, which was open in the front. I stumbled on my words, but none came out. "Are you afraid of me?" He came closer and I could see he had a scar on his face and chest.

"No, I just don't understand your reasoning."

"My reasoning?" His laugh made my toes curl "YOU killed me! I'm here to return the favour."

"But you will kill yourself."

"I don't care! I never wanted this! Do you think I like being a monster? To be hated by my whole family?" He smirked and licked his lips, sensing he was going to win.

"Why?" He froze at my question. "Don't do this to yourself, we can be a family, just give us a chance. Usui." For a moment it looked like he would give up, but when I said his name, rage just took over. I could see it in his eyes.

"That is not my name!" he smirked again "It is Kyofu*"

"No, it is Usui. Yuki and Tensa to-"

"-Yuki and Tensa… those two, oh I wished I killed them myself when I had my chance, but now, they're gone, aren't they?" A gut feeling washed over me and I grabbed Sode no Shirayuki's hilt, _would he really attack me?_

"What happened to you? Why do you hate us so much?" He didn't do anything but walked to the opposite wall and placed his hand on the smooth surface.

"What. Why. You ask too many questions. Just know that you and all the Kurosaki's will die, by my hands." When his hand left the wall, it crumbled. "Attack me mother. Take my life again!" He threw his hands in the air and smirked knowing I couldn't do it. "You're too weak. You aren't the _Ice Princess_." He spat the words at me and deep down I felt hurt, but I don't even know why.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I recall Hisoka, the first arrancar, calling me that and to this day I don't know why.

"Ice Princess, because your heart was ice when you killed you fifth son, you didn't even think about it twice. Only people with no heart or iced ones can do that."

Words failed me.

"Even now you can't say anything to defend yourself, I wonder if you will use that sword to defend your life?" In the dim light of the moon he looked just like Ichigo, how could I attack him? "Draw your sword mother!"

On instinct I did draw Sode no Shirayuki, but it was trembling in my hands. The strength had left my body and my knees gave in. "Don't do this." My voice failed me again.

"Or what, are you going to ground me? Don't make me laugh. What do you prefer? That I rip you apart with my bare hands, or use your own Zanpaktou to kill you?"

"Stop this. I'm your mother!"

"That is exactly why you should die. I thought I finished the job with dearest Daddy, but I forgot how he had the tendency _not_ to die."

"Don't you think that is enough Usui?" the voice came from behind me, and I knew exactly who it was.

"Sister. Glad to see you are still alive, it would have been a waste if I didn't kill you first."

"Humph!" She snorted "You have no idea what this family went through losing you once, don't make me go through it again." She walked passed me, with Kaen no Shinzo in her hands with a desperate look in her eyes.

"Yuki." His face softened and he looked down. "GO TO HELL!" simultaneously a sword almost as big as Ichigo's materialized in his hands.

A clang sounded as Yuki and Usui's swords made contacted. "This is your end Sister!"

"No, it is only the beginning!"

* * *

*Kyofu : Fear


	18. Giving up

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Giving up**

* * *

Since the last time I saw him, he changed. His hair was long and untamed, he didn't look like his body was made out of wax anymore and... and he had an aura that scared me. Rukia was trembling, scared stiff. If I hadn't made it in time, everything would be... gone. Usui. Kyofu. It. Whatever he was called now, was licking his lips and deep in his eyes death was waiting for one of us.

"This is your end Sister." A power shadowed him, in the form of his sword.

"No, it is only the beginning." I held onto Kaen no Shinzo hilt's, preparing to attack. Kaen no Shinzo was still in his sealed form, releasing it would be the only way of winning.

"Don't even think you are going to defeat me. It is useless, all the Kurosaki's will die today!" He lunged at me, sword at the ready. His strength was overwhelming. If he had grown up, the way that he was intended to, he would've made Dad, Mom... everyone proud. He was a Kurosaki after all.

Our swords collided as he swung his sword at me, I was barely able to dodge. The speed he had mastered in this short amount of time just proved that his blood was Kurosaki. Grim eyes looked at me as if to say that death would be too easy for me, but yet he attacked and attacked. Dodging and throwing my own punches, the battle continued. Personally, I thought I could keep up to him, but with a sudden burst of power from Usui, I flew back almost hitting the wall.

"Burn the air to ash, Kaen no Shinzo" Releasing him was the only thing that could help me take Usui down, while protecting my family. The vast black blade materialized grabbing a hold of my arms. Maybe I was selfish, but the power the coursed through my veins, I love it.

"Already releasing your shikai? Are you that afraid you'll lose?" he gave a gripping laugh, that echoed through the early morning.

"If it is to protect _OUR_ family, I'll do anything." His laughter subsided and he sprang to life, attacking once again. The massive sword sliced the air and rushed down. Kaen no Shinzo was barely in time to stop the hit. Fire engulfed me, as if to encourage me to attack. "Getsuga Tenso!" The green light plundered forward, hitting a target that was not Usui. He had dodged and disappeared. Like a chicken with no head, I was franticly searching for him, when my gaze crossed a small figure, standing in fright. Mom. This fight could wait, my first priority was to get her to safety. Quickly I shun-poed to her. She was surprised when I grabbed her arm, pulling her to me so we could run.

"Yuki?" her violet eyes stared at me in disbelieve or shock.

"Let's go, before he comes back." Just as we started our sprint in the directions of the 6th Divisions Barracks, we were stopped.

"Going somewhere?" His blade thrusted forward hitting me square in the shoulder. Blood seeped from the wound, but the pain didn't come.

"ARGH!" My scream was clouded my feeling of being too desperate to think straight. _Tensa... where are you_? My mind wondered back to our plans we made earlier, but it had failed as soon as Rukia, Mom entered the scene. With her so close to the fight, everything was too risky to try.

* * *

"_I'm telling you, if we could draw him here, we might have an advantage." his drawings in the sand was rough and quickly drawn, you could see he was Rukia's son and my brother. Again his hand travelled to his head, massaging it, trying to subdue his headache._

"_Maybe Tensa, but he won't just come here." Hisana sat cross-legged on the ground staring at him with curios eyes._

"_I say. We find him and take care of him. For good." The venom in my voice even scared me, but this was a monster that has hurt our family more than once. Slowly I moved to the entrance of the cave, just staring out of it and taking in the glory of the Seireitei on alert, the warning bell was tolling and I could here the faint screams and shouting of the shinigami. But a soft cough interrupted my thoughts. A shadow emerged from the side, a desperate, tired soul. "Ichigo?" It felt wrong calling him by his first name, but calling a 20 year old, Dad, yeah that wasn't cool._

"_Yuki, I need your help."_

* * *

It was barely 2 hours ago that we agreed that I would fight Usui and that Tensa and Ichigo would go and retrieve Rukia. But as always the plan didn't go according to plan. Still I felt no pain from the wound where Usui's sword had ripped me to shreds. Kaen no Shinzo was pouring power into every hit, every dodge. But it wasn't enough. He became even faster, stronger with every blow.

"Are you feeling the pain of your wound yet, or the fact that I became faster… stronger?" His mouth moved perfectly in the early dawn sunlight, scaring me half to death.

"No. Just tell me one thing, if anything." He threw his body into mine, hurdling me to the wall. Blood seeped from the corners of my mouth, but my sleeve quickly dried it. "How are… you… back?" His face turned to me and a look of curiosity filled his orbs. He struck his sword into the ground and leaned forward.

"Well, the first thing I remember… was nothing. Sand was everywhere. You know, you've been there, Heuco Mundo." He was smirking an awful lot as he walked closer to me, leaving his sword behind. "I survived, by destroying hollows and taking what ever reiatsu they had left." While in his moment of monologue-ing, like every other villain in the world, I attacked. Aiming Kean no Shinzo true to his heart.

A dead stop.

His hand grabbed a hold on the hilt. No blood. No pain. For him that is. "Now that was not nice, Big Sis." With both hands on my sword in a second he threw me across the courtyard, landing next to a frozen Rukia. "Don't try to save her, she is dead anyway."

"You BASTARD! Why would you do this to your own family?"

"Because, it is fun!" He licked his lips reminding me of our previous encounter in the 12th Division. Back then he was just another monster we had to kill, now we know who he is and killing him was going to be difficult. "Don't get lost in thought, Sis. I don't want to make this too easy for myself." From my crouching position I could see his hand bawl up in a fist. He came closer and closer. I thought for sure he was going to pummel me, but he stood frozen in front of me. He did nothing "You are going to die today." His voice wasn't sad, it wasn't angry, it didn't even have a hint of emotion. With a swift motion, his foot collided with my head, throwing me backwards. Blood was dripping off my nose as the wound on my forehead started to burn and bleed.

I struck Kaen no Shinzo in the ground and pushed myself up, but my vision blurred only showing me his face, a face so close to my father's.

"It doesn't have to be this way." I choked out words, alongside blood.

"Oh no, it has to be." His lean finger traced down my jaw line, when he reached my chin he placed his other hand at the back of my head. He was going to break my neck and I couldn't do a thing to stop him. Death stared me in the face, literally. They say your whole life flashes before your eyes, mine didn't. I wished I could see my whole family together again, everyone smiling. Some with scowls, others making fun of these with the scowls. The funny breakfasts we had. The arguments about painting our living room a Chappy theme; everything. I just wished that I could see, feel it again. I wasn't going to beg for my life, but I could do one thing. " I love you, Usui. You'll always be my little brother." The words were straight and true, but covered with blood and coughs.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

"Where the hell is she?" His scowl had deepened a long time ago, now only anger was printed on her face. We were at the Kuchiki manor, but she wasn't there. We found a maid that told us Ukitake wanted to see her, because she needed to attend the Captain's meeting in his place, so we race to the 1st Division's Barracks, but everywhere we went everything was in chaos, Shinigami running around, like chickens without heads. Orders being shouted to get into formation. Byakuya was heading towards his squad when Ichigo grabbed his arm. "Byakuya, where is Rukia? Tell me, please." Even in time of need he wouldn't _respect_ him and in all honesty, now was not the time to argue about that. Byakuya probably thought the same and only answer quick and swiftly.

"13th Divisions Barracks." He disappeared.

"Let's go, Tensa." I nodded and started to shun-po after him. As we ran everything started to calm down. It was quieter. That is when I felt it. A strong force pulling me to an empty courtyard. My feet drag me there, by its own. "Tensa? Where are you going?"

"There is something here. I can sense it, but I don't see anything."

"There is nothing here." Our eyes scanned the yard, but nothing sprang out of the perfect picture laid out in front of us. He turned around ready to continue to the 13th Division.

"Wait." It was faint, but it was there. "Yuki is here."

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

He only hesitated for a second, but it was long enough for me to send a surge of reaistu out, hoping that Tensa would know that I needed him. Usui's eyes flickered with rage and his hold around my neck tightened. "Death awaits you." His sentence ended when a blue light hit him from behind.

"Getsuga Tenso" Simultaneously the silence was broken, with alarms and shinigami shouting, a feeling of cold fresh air hit my face. Tensa had broken the barrier, the one that I hadn't sensed. Well, the one I hadn't even notice Usui put up. Usui regained his pose, just in time for Ichigo's to stop his sword.

"So nice of you to join us, Father." Each time he said something like that, he would spit out the words, as if they were venom. Ichigo said nothing and continued to attack. Tensa rushed over to me, but I wasn't the one he should worry about. "Mom." With the little energy I had left I pointed to the little raven haired shinigami, standing still, filled with shock. Tensa knew what he had to do, so he nodded and headed to her. When he reached her, they were gone.

_Priory one: Get mom the hell out of there. _–Check-

_Priory two: Kill our brother._

I was going to follow my new plan, even if it would cost me my life. My attention was pulled to the fight when Ichigo release his Bankai, pouring his power into his every move. I needed to help him, together we were stronger.

"Burn the heart of the corrupted and evil, Kaen no Shinzo Sokyoku!" For the second time the flames became my weapon and death became the future of my enemy. Ichigo wasn't surprised in the least when I joined him in the fight, he was glad even. Together we shun-poed forward, each taking turns to attack Usui. No. Kyofu.

"Two against one. I like the odds." Again he licked his lips and attacked. Ichigo blocked and I attacked, sending Usui backwards into a wall. I would be lying if I'd say that wasn't satisfying. He wiped away the blood dripping from his brow and attacked again and again. Each time we would block and counter. Stopping him dead in his tracks.

"You could've beaten us, one at a time, but us together, you have no snowballs hope in hell of beating us." Ichigo nodded and we took the offence. Attacking him one at a time. During all this, I noticed it, Usui did give up. "Stop."

"What?" Ichigo's eyes were filled with bloodlust again.

"Look. It is like he wants to die, he is not fighting anymore." Usui stumbled on his feet, blood dripping from the wounds we had inflicted upon him.

"Come on. Kill me!" Ichigo's grip lessened around Tensa Zangetsu.

"No, Usui. I won't. Your sister is right. You are not fighting anymore." Ichigo looked him straight in the eye, and turned around.

"Fine, then you daughter has to pay." Again Ichigo's eyes flickered to me as Usui sprang to life sword at the ready, heading towards my chest. I threw my flames up, as a barrier, but he didn't come through. Hesitantly I dropped the wall. A scene of death greeted me. Tensa Zangetsu was impaled through Usui's body. From where I was standing it looked like Ichigo was holding Usui, for the first time.

It was over, even though we didn't want it to be.


	19. Good bye and Good luck!

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Chapter 19: Good-Bye and Good luck!**

* * *

It was soft, barely audible, but it was there. "Thank you." Usui's words tugged at my heart, but so did the pain and dizziness. His body went limp against Tensa Zangetsu and still in Ichigo's arms.

"I didn't want it to turn out this way." The orange haired shinigami whispered into his dead son's ear as the morning sunlight touched the pale body of a son nobody knew. Tears softly rolled down my father's face as his fifth son's body started to turn to dust. The sun's rays brought light to the courtyard and with it Shinigami. _After_ the whole battle, they decided to show up. Squad 6's men filled the courtyard and looked to us to answer them. "It is over." Ichigo looked to the East, to the yellow sun.

"Ichigo." Byakuya came into view as he stepped forward. "Where is he?"

"Dead." Maybe because my lungs were almost full of blood or the fact that I really was sad, made my voice seem older and misused.

"Yuki. Let's get you to the 4th Division and find Tensa." I nodded and started to walk, limp, in the direction of the people who would probably have me in ICU for a week. I was even surprised I had the energy to walk at all. I was barely able to hear when Dad thanked Byakuya for something as he ran up to me.

"What was that about?" The substitute Shinigami placed Zangetsu, in his Shikai form, in his place; safely on his back.

"Oh, I just asked where Rukia was." While his voice sounded alive and full of energy, he looked beat up and dead tired. I wasn't in the mood for an awkward walk to the hospital, so I tried making small talk.

"So, how did you find us? Better question, how did you know we were still _here, _in this time?" I was referring to the fact that he and Rukia should've thought we had _died_, while we were actually hiding under the Sokyoku Hill in the secret training grounds.

"Oh. I didn't. Just had a gut feeling you guys were there." He didn't turn to me as we walked, only kept staring at the sunrise.

"Cool." Yeah it was so awkward, it felt like the air was frozen butter and all I had to slice it, was a spoon. A small pitter-patter came from behind. It was none other than my overly hyper young brother who always followed me.

"YUUUUUKKKKII!" He collided with me, sending pain waves through my back. "That was totally wicked!"

"Raidon! Calm down. Yeesh. Where is Hisana?" He pointed in the 4th Division's direction and only smiled. Mom always said he looked like Dad when he was younger and without the scowl. That reminded me. "Uhm Ichigo, you haven't met Raidon. He is my youngest brother." Not much of a reaction followed, Dad only gave a small smile and continued walking.

"Big sissy, what wrong with Daddy?" Raidon's amber eyes looked to me to answer his questions, but for this question I didn't have an answer.

By noon both Ichigo and I were healed by Tensa, so no time for me in the ICU. _Have I ever mentioned how I hate to be in the hospital or worse the 4__th__ Division's Barracks?_

Ichigo had gone off in search of Rukia, while I went to find Hisana and Raidon. They were sitting in the Kuchiki manor's yard, Raidon trying to capture one of the Koi's in the pond and Hisana's nose was in a book_; just like a left them._ "Hisana, Raidon, I think it is time for us to go home."

"Why? The past is so much different." Hisana looked up from her book.

"This is not our time, we already changed too much here." Although Raidon didn't know what was going on, he gave me his puppy-dog-face and big smile. "Now, let's find Tensa and go say Good-Bye."

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

Everything happened slowly, yet it was over in a flash. I could still hear Usui taunting me, asking me if I would kill him, _again_. The breeze whispered through my hair, relieving my skin of the clammy hotness of the sun's rays. My feet had automatically pulled me away after Tensa had rushed me away from the fight. Now I was standing on Sokyoku Hill. The Seireitei was quieter than usual. Somewhere I could hear laughter and I just knew it was Rangiku throwing one of her '_We won the war, although we didn't actually do anything'_- parties. The Sokyoku was still in its rumble state after my rescue so many years ago, it served as a reminder to the Seireitei and all who see it.

_Promises should be kept, and payback is an eternal Bitch. _

Well that's what I thought it meant. I still owed Ichigo, and I never could repay him. He saved my life; countless times. Someone cleared their throat behind me, breaking me away from the sight of the Seireitei.

"Mind if I join you?" his voice was as strong as ever, and yet so gentle.

"Yeah sure, Strawberry." Although I didn't look at him, there _was_ a small frown on his face. For minutes, we just stood there, looking at the Seireitei. For some weird reason, I was at peace. But even I didn't know what was awaiting me in the future.

Strong arms surrounded my waist, and I surrendered to the one embracing me in the stillness of the moment. Everything about the moment was clichéd and too weird to even repeat. Just like in every story with romance and adventure, the beautiful scene was interrupted by voices of our friends and_ future_ family. Ichigo didn't spat away from me when all the Captains and their Lieutenants arrived, he stood still, holding me even tighter. Everyone eyed us. I could feel a small blush creep onto my face. The faces everyone was making; Renji was mad or jealous, I couldn't tell. Byakuya, well he was enraged, but he didn't grab Senbornsakura at that moment, but I could tell he will in the near future. But when I saw Yuki, Tensa, Hisana and Raidon, their expressions was so normal, like what they were seeing, was as normal as breathing air.

_Maybe because they're our children… and that's what parents do! _A voice nagged in the back of my head. I quickly silenced it, I wasn't really in the mood to argue with myself. And no, I am not crazy just because I have a few intelligent conversations with myself. The only reason people could say I was crazy, is because I was in love with a Strawberry.

"You know, you two are freaking Byakuya out?" Captain Shunsui whispered when he came to a still stand next to us.

"That is what I'm betting on." I silenced the Strawberry with a quick blow to his gut. He only grunted.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

I couldn't help but laugh when Byakuya gripped Ichigo's arm - that was around Rukia - and pulled him away from her. The scene was too precious, Byakuya standing between Mom and Dad with his emotionless/angry face. Trust me, the only person who can get under that man's up tightness, is my father when he was flirting with my Mom. I nudged Tensa in the ribs and pointed to the trio standing on the opposite side. Even he started to snicker.

The whole _party _was interrupted when a Senkaimon opened up in midair above us. And out of it fell Urahara, Yuroichi and naturally, our Grandfather. The only one who landed safely of the feet was Yuroichi, the other two, gracefully, saw their own asses without the use of a mirror.

"HAY! Don't you say good-bye to your Gramps before you go?" Tears started to weld up in the old pervert's eyes, but were soon joined by a whole stream full of water when Ichigo hit him over the head, with what looked like a giant rock.

"You're going?" Rukia's voice was small and fragile, but it didn't lack hardness and bravery.

"Yes. That's why everyone is here. We really need to get back to our time." I nodded as Tensa explained to Rukia. Just as she wanted to say something, Head Captain Yamamoto came from behind. I only knew this because everyone in front of me (except Urahara, Yuroichi, Isshin and Ichigo) started to kneel.

His words actually startled me. "We have to thank the Kurosaki's again for this _victory,_ nothing would've been possible without them." Tensa and I only stared at him.

You can't judge me, that guy is freaky. Plus he has like a billion names.

"One thing I wanted to know was, why did we trust you in the beginning?" Renji's question was confusing and so random.

"You mean, why weren't we beheaded the second we landed in the 1st Division's Barracks?"

"Uhm, yeah." He said confused.

I looked to Tensa before I spoke, even without talking he nodded and agreed to tell them. "Well, we showed you a box, remember-" Tensa yanked it out of his pants (only he knows where he hid it) and showed Renji. It was the small silver box with our family crest on top. "-Well it bears our family crest. And those who don't know." I looked around. _Nobody knew._ I shook my head and continued talking. "The Kurosaki clan was one of the four noble clans back in the day. When our Great-Great-grandfather Kuribo Kurosaki was Head Captain." And that is when both Byakuya and Ichigo choked and shouted.

"WHAA~AT?"

Ichigo grabbed Isshin by his collar and started to hit him, nobody said anything and just continued to talk amongst themselves. Byakuya regained his posture and kept his eyes glued to us.

"Anywhooo-"

"Yuki, that is not a word." Byakuya was now even bossier that before.

"You keep telling me that, and yet I still use it." His face grew more annoyed as I continued. "Anywho, we really should be going. Time travel is really a bitc- bit annoy." _Note to self, try not to curse in front of future parents and teachers._

"Wait." Urahara held up a small wooden chest "I think you need these." He opened it, inside cradled in soft tissue paper lay to black leather bracelets, each with there own bright orange stone.

"New yokusei's?" Tensa picked one up and fastened his around his arm and took off his old one.

"Yeah. I finally found out how to make them, it was tricky, but I did it of course." He smiled; it was one of those _you-owe-me_ smiles.

"Thanks, Urahara."

Ichigo, who finally stop pounding his father, eyed the creations."What did you just give them Urahara?" He was still looking at them when I grabbed mine and placed it around my wrist.

"It works like Zaraki's eye patch, just in a whole other way." Ichigo just stared at him and shook his head. Sometimes, I wonder if there is anything up there.

"Well, I think this is good-bye." Hisana spoke for the first time.

"Yeah, she's right. Your future and our present await us."

"Yuki, you just sounded like a Shakespeare, you got into Dad's collection again?" Tensa stared at me blinking 3 times.

"How am I related to him?" I mumbled to myself.

A few minutes later we said our good-byes, thank the heavens nobody cried, except Isshin of course. Tensa began chanting the incantations and drawing symbols in the ground. It would take another few minutes to complete. That's when Isshin regained his pose and quickly yanked me away.

"Yuki, about the…"

"Jinsei, don't sweat it, we'll think of something." To be honest it has been nagging in the back of my mind since I had died and was _revived_. Two years to live, and already a few weeks lost.

"Yuki, come on." Tensa yelled at the portal began to open. It stared to shine brightly. Some shielded their eyes, while Hisana and Raidon passed through. I was about to pass through when I just had the urge to say something. _I always have the last say._

"Yo! Mom! Dad!" I had to shout over the noise of the portal, but I got their attention. "See you in _eight_ months!"

As Tensa and I stepped into the portal and the bright light engulfed us, the last thing I saw was Ichigo with a confused face asking Rukia one thing.

"Rukia, are you pregnant?"


	20. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach_

* * *

**Epilogue**

* * *

Our bodies were pulled together in the gathering light as we sped forward to our time. The last time we travelled the white tunnel we were going to save our family, now we were returning to it.

You know that feeling when you are on a rollercoaster and are about to throw up; well that is how I felt. Worst part is, when I tried to look at my body or at Tensa for that matter, all you see is a little ball of light. So I can safely say, I was not about to hurl.

This time when the portal ended and the gate opened we stumbled and fell, just like before. The ground met my face with open arms.

"Tensa! You really can't do that right, can you?" Now, I know my brother pretty good, considering we are twins and all, but I have never seen the face he was making now. Staring into space, looking at the Seireitei at night, but he looked afraid and well confused.

"Uhm, Yuki?" He didn't look at me, but grabbed my shoulder and in slow motion slid to the ground as if he was bone tired.

"Oh, I got you." I grabbed him by the elbow and let him lean against me.

"You are going to kill me-"

"Why would I kill you?"

"You didn't let me finish." I sat him down at the rocks, so I could look him in the eye.

"What?"

"I think…" he hesitate a second. "We are in the wrong time." He looked away and scratched his head, just like our dear Dad did when he knew he was in trouble.

"_Wrong time_? What do you mean?" The words flew out of mouth like a missile.

"Like, I think we are in our future, look around." And so I did. The Seireitei looked the same, except where we were standing on the Sokyoku Hill; there was a monument of Old Gramps himself and underneath in bold letter stood :

**IN THE MEMORY OF ****GENRYŪSAI SHIGEKUNI YAMAMOTO**

"Wait, Gramps isn't dead in our time." Tensa cocked an eyebrow then nodded.

"Also Hisana and Raidon, they aren't here." I scanned our surroundings and again, there was nothing, not even a tumble of wind. "I think we should go home."

"If it even exists in this time, maybe we moved to the World of the Living, so that Dad, and the whole family, can get away from the _memories."_ We both knew that Dad hadn't taken it so good when Mom died, I mean the man was in his room for a week, crying! "Can't you just portal us back so our time?"

Tensa looked at me with the famous _Kurosaki-you-gotta-be-kidding_ look. "Two problems there Sis. One." He shoved his finger in my face "I need to know where, more like when, we are so that I can know how many years we have to go back, I can't just type in the year and _POOF!_ And secondly." This time he shoved two fingers in my face.

"I will break your fingers if you do that again."

"Secondly." He repeated. "I'm too tired, I'll be able to do it in a day or two, just let me sleep."

"Fine." he slid down the rock and automatically went into sleep mode on the floor. That's when it occurred to me that there were no Shinigami, last time we blew a hole in the 1st Division's Barracks and had 9 Zanpaktou's in our faces, because we made a sonic flare of spiritual pressure. Why hadn't someone come for us?

"He can sleep anywhere he wants, can't he?" the male voice came from the other side of the statue of Gramps and sounded oddly familiar.

"Who is there?" I wanted to summon Kaen no Shinzo, but decided against it. A tall orange haired guy stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. He looked just like my father. His nose was a little different, and maybe he was a little shorter and more muscular. I stared at him and at Tensa. He was taller than Tensa, that, I could say with certainty.

"Come on, you can guess who I am, can't you Yuki?" The way he said my name… _who are you?_ "Yuuuukiii!" he howled, like he was in agony, or worse _boredom_.

"Hang on." I was probably crazy for thinking it, but, "Raidon, is that you?"

"BINGO!" The tall guy was my little brother, my little brother that was 12 years younger than me.

"Tensa is gonna freak because you are taller than him." My little brother only snickered. While we were walking through the Seireitei, Raidon said nothing. He only held Tensa in his arms. "Okay, out with it, which year are we in?"

"Well, 2045… in the World of the Living of course." I froze. That meant in this time I should be 33. 15 years in the future.

"So you are 21?"

"Almost!" He smiled that the corners of his mouth almost touched his cheek. Considering in what good mood he was, I tried to get a little information out of him.

"So, where do all us live, I trust most of us isn't in the Seireitei no more?"

"Well, Hisana is still here, living with uncle Byakuya, because she was nominated as the next Kuchiki." He smirked like he was remembering something hilarious.  
"What about Tensa and me?"

"Well you of course spend your days with-" That's when he caught my plan. "I'm not suppose to tell you!"

"Oh, come on!"

"No."

"Please?"

"Not happening." We bickered until we came in view of the place we call home. It wasn't as show-offy as Uncle Byakuya's place, but it was sturdy, just what is needed to raise Kurosaki's. I stopped for a moment, just enjoying the scenery. I haven't seen it in months, it was a sight for sore eyes.

"You coming?"

"Yeah." We entered the house, but it was so quiet. _Well duh, it is like one in the morning!_ Raidon bid me a good night and said my old room waited for me. While I headed up the stares I heard him talking in the kitchen with someone, I was curious to see who, but I knew that messing with the future, _this time_, wasn't such a good thing, you could call it female intuition.

I wasn't tired, sort of like jetlag; you could probably be call time-lag, or something. 15 minutes later I found myself on our roof, my sacred place. The Sokyoku Hill stood almost next to us, seeing that our house was at the Squad Nine Barracks.

"It's cold out and shouldn't you be resting?" Although I was looking away from the voice, it belonged to Toshiro, no doubt about it.

"Well, seeing that I'm experiencing time-lag, I'd say no." He sat next to me, from the corner of my eye, I could see that he hadn't changed at all, well from _my present_ that is. Since I saw him in the time I wasn't born yet, he grew and started to look like a real man, not a young teenager.

"Aren't you going to ask me what awaits you in the future?" Cocking an eyebrow, I turned to him.

"I want to, but I know you better than yesterday Toshiro. All that you'd say is-" And in a mocking voice I said. "-Sorry Yuki I can't, I don't want to tamper with fate and future."

"I do not sound or talk like that."

"Well, you'd say something like that." There was a small moment of silence "The one Raidon spoke to earlier in the kitchen was me, right. Me from this time?"

"Yes, you wanted to greet yourself. That was kind of weird, I should say."

"It won't be the first time I'd talk to myself, remember when I died." He nodded. "Well apart from the first two minutes, it was _cool_."

"You never told us, _how_ you did that?"

"Did what?"

"Save yourself, by being…_two._" He had trouble phrasing his sentence, but wouldn't we all.

"Oh. After we vanished and returned, when my dad almost _died,_ we hid in the Sokyoku Hill. In that time, Tensa and I quickly went back in time and saved my sorry ass. Okay, I saved my sorry ass, because Tensa was too tired to go with me."

"Ri~ight?"

"You don't believe me?"

"Of course I do. I'm just glad you did that or else…" He trailed off as he started to dig in his Haori pocket for something. "You need this. Drink it now." He held out a small glass bottle with a pink fluid.

"What is this?" I took the bottle and unscrewed the lid, it smelled like strawberries and icing.

"It's something that will save you from Jinsei."

"How did you know?"

"Easy, your mom. After you were born she and your Grandfather asked Urahara for his help in creating an antidote, he finished it a year ago, I have been carrying around this bottle for almost 11 months, knowing that you'd show up now."

For the first time I thanked the mess we were in at the moment, or else I would have died in less than two years. I lifted the bottle to my mouth, but just as I was about to drink it. Toshiro grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms.

"You'll pass out from it, so I'll say Good-bye now."

"Good bye? Why, I'm still alive in this time and we are still together, aren't we?"

"Of course we are, it's just you aren't this carefree girl in the future, I miss that." He gently touched my lips with his finger and than kissed me.

"I'll try to stay the same for you, okay?" I looked into his eyes and downed the bottle of pink stuff, which hopefully would save me.

* * *

When I woke up, I was in my room. Not just _my_ room, but in _my_ _time_. I slid out from under the covers with a mayor headache. Unfortunately for me, an enemy was waiting for me in the form of a small six year old boy with a too big smile.

"YUKI!" He collided with me sending me back to my bed.

"Woh, Raidon… calm down." I looked at the six year old and immediately remembered the 21 year old. He was so much the same in the future.

"You're awake, _finally_." He ran out of my room screaming _'Yuki is awake, Yuki is awake!'_ Feeling very groggy and tired, I hauled my body off my bed, _again_ and went down to the family room. But instead, two _not so little boys_ ran straight in to me. Making me collided with the floor.

"Bryan. Kyou. I. can't. breathe." The two adjust the way they were crushing me so that I could breathe, but still kept me down on the floor.

"We missed you so much. We promise not to ever read your diary again, if you stay!" the two said together.

"When did you read my freaking diary?"

"We didn't mean to." Then they started to cry, which they never do.

"What is wrong with this family today?" I mumbled, not expecting someone to reply.

"You get this reaction, when you and Tensa do not exit a portal with Hisana and Raidon, then two weeks later Tensa stumbles out of a portal, with an unconscious Yuki in his hands." His voice was rough and older, just like I'm used to.

"Dad!" I wanted to jump up and hug him, but I was restricted by my twin brothers. "Can I get some help?" I pointed to the twins.

"Kyou, Bryan there is cookies in the kitchen." And with a flash they were gone, screaming _'COOKIES'_. I got up and stood next to him.

"Those two are seriously weird for 11 year olds."

"Actually they are 12. You missed the birthday. And Masaki is 2 and talking our ears off." I stared at him in awe. _Did we really miss much time while we were in the past?_ "Come on, there is food in the kitchen."

"Dad. That is what a kitchen is for."

"Don't be a smart ass with me, Lieutenant Kurosaki. Or else I'll ask your captain that you should do all that paper work, _alone_."

"Dad. You are my captain." He only shrugged and continued down the stairs. On our way to the kitchen we came across Hisana sitting on the couch, reading what looked like a manga _(note: my sister doesn't read manga ever!)._

Masaki was at Hisana's feet tugging on her pink bunny-teddy bear.

Interesting fact about said soft toy, it was the first toy our dad bought us (along with a blue one), I used it, then Hisana and now Masaki. You can guess why only the girls used the pink one… when Bryan and Kyou had to share the blue one, well let's just say, Raidon had half of a blue bunny.

I hugged Masaki tightly to my chest and greeted Hisana, but that was when I heard a bickering in the kitchen. But it wasn't between Dad and the twins. After putting Masaki down, my legs brought me to the kitchen in a flash.

"I told you… the boys won't listen if I say they _can't_ and you say they _can_."

"Well, why can't they get a cookie?" His scowl was only playful.

"Because, it is still too hot."

"It is not, Midget." He took a cookie of the plate and bit into it and… "Oh shit it's hot" followed. I wasn't staring at the baka I called my father, that was hoping up and down in the kitchen in search of milk. No, I was looking at a woman as short as me, wearing a purple apron.

"Mom?" She turned to me and smiled. She was real, she was alive. Before I could stop myself I hugged her and started to bawl like a little kid. "How are you alive?" She didn't answer me only placed her hand on my head and kissed my forehead.

"Yuki, you and Tensa, changed a lot in the past." The hug continued when Tensa strolled in.

"Yo Sis, glad you are awake." He grabbed a cookie before Mom could warn him and just like Dad, he too went searching for milk to cool down his tongue.

"Oh, Yuki." Dad gulped down a glass of milk. "Because you told us that your mom was pregnant_… in front of Byakuya_." I cocked an eyebrow, nothing good follows when my dad talks about Byakuya "You are grounded for the rest of your life."

"WHAAT!" I would've argued with my father and I did, but that was just how my family was…

And I loved them.

* * *

**End**


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